This past week, local Portland stripper Liv Osthus, with the stage name ‘Viva Las Vegas’ has announced her mayoral campaign for the upcoming election in November. Since her official announcement, the press has been enthusiastic and supportive of Osthus and her pursuit.
The comments on recent Instagram posts made about Osthus feature comments raving about Portlanders’ excitement such as, “She is going to unite many diverse communities – especially artists.” Yet when looking at Osthus’s official campaign website, it’s not as thorough as some would hope. The main information on Osthus’s campaign is four bullet points entitled; arts, housing, local, and harmony. Each of these categories is paired with a one-sentence summary of her goal for that topic. Other than those small descriptions, the majority of her website is taken over by the donation box.
When I reached out to Osthus to get access to her website, something I couldn’t find without her help, she alluded to the idea that the website was still in the works, so hopefully she will have better goal descriptions soon.
In comparison to her competitors, Osthus might appear underqualified for the position. Three of the four opposing candidates have experience as Portland city commissioners, something that requires legal experience, a skill most people would want their mayor to have.
One thing that Osthus is using to gain credibility is her Ted Talk, “Thank you for supporting the arts,” premiered in 2022. In the Ted Talk, she called Portland the “stripclub capitol of the world,” and encouraged people to view stripping from a more nuanced perspective; as a form of art. She also discusses some of her experiences in sociology classes at Williams College in Massachusetts. Bringing up her college experiences increases her credibility and alleviates suspicions of her intelligence.
Osthus is also known for her two published books entitled Magic Gardens and The Gospel, one of which is a documentary of her life, how she became a stripper, and how she fell in love with the career.
If one thing’s for certain, Osthus is confident, which is a quality needed for a mayor, but many are left wondering what else there is to her. Most press covers Osthus as if she is an extraordinary candidate, but that mostly seems to be off the basis with which she speaks.
Currently Osthus does have an official candidate website, but it doesn’t cover much. For now, Osthus fans are raving about her, but it could just be because of her provocative personality. Would it be nice to see Osthus reach this goal of hers to take the role as Portland mayor? Sure, but only on the grounds that people vote for their shared values expressed by her campaign and not just because they have seen her breasts.
