Caitlyn Jenner's long game

One is literal profit. California candidates can’t spend money on themselves, but the state of California allows candidates huge leeway on how they can spend their political donations, so a candidate can live off it and reward her friends with contracts and jobs. With former Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale advising Jenner in the race, it’s easy to imagine a well-financed political campaign, and candidates can throw campaign money at election-night celebrations and other events; attorney fees; cars, computers, meals and gifts. They can buy gratitude by donating to other candidates and charities; they can cover employee salaries, health care and meals and travel for the candidate and staff, as long it conforms to IRS regulations. It’s a real money-go-round. The law even allows candidates to expense a babysitter! Enforcement of California’s campaign finance rules is so lax that if you’re found violating the law you might escape without paying a fine. But the real long game in American politics now isn’t cash — it’s fame. Think of Jenner’s run as a reality show by other means, a thought we can assume has also occurred to her. Instead of a show on one national channel, her campaign is news, which means she’ll be running on multiple national and local channels. Social media will feast on her. She’s already peppering her 3.5 million Twitter followers with campaign messages and her 1.4 million Facebook friends with the same. Even her campaign controversies — opposing transgender youth sports in an ambush interview — can redound in her favor by boosting her profile higher still.
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