L.A. Mayor Karen Bass, the World’s Least Sympathetic Scapegoat

Ican think of few healthy, un-incarcerated people in this world I would less prefer to be right now than Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass. Admittedly the reasons for this are overdetermined — I would never want to live in L.A., for one thing. (Also, I would no doubt regret suddenly becoming stupid.) But mostly it’s because I am not a zombie, whereas Bass has joined Joe Biden amongst the legions of the walking dead: Deceased politically, even if she doesn’t know it yet. I wouldn’t trade a bucket of warm sputum for her future prospects — why take lesser value on the exchange?

Bass is in huge trouble, and even if it’s only partially her fault, she certainly made her own portion of the bed she’s about to lie in. As you may or may not have heard, the city and its environs are currently on fire. It may get worse before it gets better. The amount of damage already caused — to Pacific Palisades, to Malibu, to some of the oldest and most beautiful communities on the West Coast — properly rates as apocalyptic. (In terms of property loss, it is already the costliest fire in American history, and it’s not over yet.)

About the Author

Jeffrey Blehar

Jeffrey Blehar is a National Review staff writer living in Chicago. He is also the co-host of National Review’s Political Beats podcast, which explores the great music of the modern era with guests from the political world happy to find something non-political to talk about.

Featured Tags

Ican think of few healthy, un-incarcerated people in this world I would less prefer to be right now than Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass. Admittedly the reasons for this are overdetermined — I would never want to live in L.A., for one thing. (Also, I would no doubt regret suddenly becoming stupid.) But mostly it’s because I am not a zombie, whereas Bass has joined Joe Biden amongst the legions of the walking dead: Deceased politically, even if she doesn’t know it yet. I wouldn’t trade a bucket of warm sputum for her future prospects — why take lesser value on the exchange?

Bass is in huge trouble, and even if it’s only partially her fault, she certainly made her own portion of the bed she’s about to lie in. As you may or may not have heard, the city and its environs are currently on fire. It may get worse before it gets better. The amount of damage already caused — to Pacific Palisades, to Malibu, to some of the oldest and most beautiful communities on the West Coast — properly rates as apocalyptic. (In terms of property loss, it is already the costliest fire in American history, and it’s not over yet.)

About the Author

Jeffrey Blehar

Jeffrey Blehar is a National Review staff writer living in Chicago. He is also the co-host of National Review’s Political Beats podcast, which explores the great music of the modern era with guests from the political world happy to find something non-political to talk about.