Lecture Notes: "What If Mr Beast Ran for President"

Introduction

• Jimmy Donaldson (Mr Beast): Announces potential presidential bid for the United States.
• Timing: Would be around 2048, due to age requirements (must be 35 years old).

Challenges

• Age: Currently too young to run; would need to wait another decade.
• Popularity: Potential to win young audience votes but majority may not favor him.
• Lack of Political Experience: Concerns about his ability to run a country.
• Public Opinion: Likely to drop if he jumps into politics due to polarizing nature of politics.

Political Background and Views

• Non-Partisan: Has avoided taking sides publicly and stayed non-political in his content.
• Platform Could Include:
  • Pro-environment (Team Trees, Team Seas)
  • Social progressivism (Support for Black Lives Matter, LGBTQ+ community)
  • Economic policies: possible support for some form of Universal Basic Income (UBI), inspired by his philanthropic activities.

Potential Campaign and Strategy

• Self-Financing: Likely to use own funds to back campaign due to large personal wealth.
• Media Presence: Already has huge social media following and public recognition.
• Non-Political Background: Could be seen as an advantage, portraying him as an anti-career politician.

Important Considerations

• Electoral College: Makes it difficult for independent candidates to win under current system.
• Historical Precedent: Past entertainers like Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump won significant political offices without prior political experience.
• Youth Vote: Younger audience growing up watching Mr Beast will be of voting age by 2048.
• First-Time Voters: His candidacy could bring traditionally apathetic voters to the polls.

Advantages and Disadvantages

• Advantages:
  • Financial independence, less influence from special interests.
  • High name recognition and loyal following.
  • Strong communication skills and media presence.
  • Potential to mobilize young voters and increase voter turnout.
• Disadvantages:
  • Lack of traditional political experience.
  • Difficult to win electoral votes as an independent.
  • Public opinion may shift negatively once involved in politics.

Conclusion

• Long-Term Impact: Everything Mr Beast does now could build towards a political future.
• Feasibility: While challenging, his entry into politics isn’t entirely out of the question due to his significant influence and resources.
• Open Questions: Can an independent president work with a partisan Congress? Will young voters support him in significant numbers?