There is an easy appeal to Pratt’s fire message. It’s been 18 months since the fires and rebuilding efforts remain slow and halting. In one campaign ad, he and his family camp out at the lot where their home once lived; he walks down Bass’s pristine street to draw a contrast.
Pratt’s demand, among other things, is accountability from elected officials and reform in insurance and emergency management, all good things on the surface at least. But even if he is right in diagnosing some parts of the problem, it’s unclear how he would be able to fix it. The whole underpinning of his campaign is a skepticism of established political elites and their expertise. And yet that expertise is essential in preparing for and responding to climate-related disasters. (I wasn’t able to reach Pratt for comment on this story).
For the academics who study the aftermath of disasters, Pratt’s rise isn’t exactly surprising. Research has long shown that poorly managed disasters foment distrust in institutions and create fertile ground for anti-establishment politicians.
