What If Mr. Beast Ran for President

Jul 6, 2024

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?