Lots Of Folks Watched This Live, But For Those With FOMO…
Yesterday afternoon, Jon hosted longtime Los Angeles political consultant Matt Klink for this week’s So, Does It Matter? Live! — and what followed was a fast-moving, blunt, and surprisingly entertaining deep dive into the political dysfunction of Los Angeles and California.
If you follow LA politics at all, this was a conversation you probably needed to hear.
Jon and Matt spent nearly an hour breaking down the Los Angeles mayor’s race, the growing Democratic Socialist movement inside LA City Hall, new tax measures hitting voters, and the increasingly bizarre political environment surrounding Karen Bass and the city council.
And yes… somehow reality TV star Spencer Pratt became one of the most-discussed political figures of the hour.
What Did We Talk About?
We started with the Los Angeles mayor’s race and the increasingly volatile dynamics developing around Mayor Karen Bass, Democratic Socialist councilmember Nithya Rahman, and Spencer Pratt’s unexpectedly disruptive campaign. Matt explained why Pratt’s viral AI-generated ads are resonating with frustrated voters, why Bass may struggle to avoid a runoff, and how outside groups could begin strategically manipulating the field to shape who advances to November.
From there, the conversation shifted to the broader ideological battle unfolding in Los Angeles politics.
Matt walked through the rise of Democratic Socialist candidates on the LA City Council, the effort to expand that movement into additional districts, and the increasingly radical policy ideas emerging from City Hall — including proposals to move traffic enforcement away from police officers and into the hands of unarmed city employees.
We also discussed the upcoming LA city and county tax measures, including the controversial streetlight assessment proposal, the countywide sales tax increase for healthcare spending, cannabis tax enforcement, and the increasing use of “general fund” tax structures by local governments to avoid the higher voter thresholds required under Proposition 13.
Along the way, Jon and Matt talked about copper theft, homelessness, labor unions, public employee influence, low-turnout election dynamics, demographic shifts in California, and why so many voters feel that basic government services are collapsing while politicians continue to demand higher taxes.
And of course, the conversation eventually expanded into the California governor’s race.
Matt and Jon broke down the latest polling on Xavier Becerra, Steve Hilton, Tom Steyer, and Chad Bianco, discussed the growing likelihood of strategic advertising campaigns designed to manipulate the top-two primary system, and examined the increasingly difficult math Republicans face statewide as California continues to sort itself politically.
Want To Watch A Particular Part?
00:00 — Introduction, Matt Klink Joins So, Does It Matter? Live!
04:02 — Karen Bass, Spencer Pratt, And The LA Mayor’s Race
06:12 — Runoff Math, Special Interests, And The Top-Two Dynamics
10:31 — Democratic Socialists, Vote Splitting, And LA Political Strategy
16:38 — Spencer Pratt’s Viral AI Ads And Why They’re Working
21:21 — Low Turnout, Homeowners, And Who Actually Votes In LA
23:01 — Los Angeles City Council Races And Democratic Socialist Expansion
27:55 — Traffic Enforcement, Public Safety, And City Hall Priorities
30:30 — The Streetlight Tax Measure And Prop 218 Ballot Politics
35:05 — Cannabis Taxes, Hotel Taxes, And More LA Ballot Measures
36:30 — LA County’s Proposed Sales Tax Increase And Prop 13 Loopholes
39:38 — The California Governor’s Race, Polling, And Republican Math
42:20 — Tom Steyer, Strategic Advertising, And Top-Two Manipulation
Finally, be sure to check up and sign up for Matt’s Substack here!
Listen Here…
Or… Listen To This On Your Favorite Podcasting App or Watch It On YouTube!
You can also listen to this formerly live session — part of our So, Does It Matter? Podcasts feed — on your favorite podcasting app, or go here.
And of course, you can also watch the full So, Does It Matter? Live! conversation on YouTube here, and share it on social media.
