# Bill Maher - Flip The District
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-maher-flip-the-district/680205
**Category:** Politics & Elections
**Created:** [January 31, 2014, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-maher-flip-the-district/680205 "2014-01-31T15:20:31Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@MacCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacCat)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2014, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-maher-flip-the-district/680205/1 "2014-01-31T15:20:31Z")
From [HuffPo](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/31/bill-maher-congress-race_n_4701727.html)
> [@](#):
>
> Bill Maher has announced that his show will be trying to oust a sitting member of Congress — for real.
From [NY Times](http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/31/arts/television/maher-wants-his-show-to-decide-a-house-race.html?_r=1)
> [@](#):
>
> After some culling and analysis, one member of Congress will be selected, and the show will follow up through November with examples of what it considers terrible work by that representative. Mr. Maher will make occasional visits to that member’s district to perform stand-up and generally stir up hostile feelings toward the show’s target.
>
> “This year, we are going to be entering into the exciting world of outright meddling with the political process,” Mr. Maher said in an email message.
This could be very interesting…
---
### Author:  [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2014, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-maher-flip-the-district/680205/2 "2014-01-31T15:23:09Z")
At the very least this should be entertaining.
---
### Author:  [@MacCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacCat)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2014, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-maher-flip-the-district/680205/3 "2014-01-31T15:29:32Z")
\*\*I think it could be a very important counter balance to the $$$, FOX “_News_” and dirty tricks that the right end of the political spectrum seem to have in abundance.
Maybe Stephen Colbert can join in with a little competition from the other side 😉
---
### Author:  [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2014, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-maher-flip-the-district/680205/4 "2014-01-31T15:35:09Z")
I’m skeptical that it’s going to work, but what the heck.
---
### Author:  [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2014, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-maher-flip-the-district/680205/5 "2014-01-31T15:37:22Z")
The problem is that no republicans would ever attend a Bill Maher show or pay any attention to him at all, the way he rips them apart.
---
### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2014, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-maher-flip-the-district/680205/6 "2014-01-31T15:38:38Z")
Will he go for the (in his judgement) worst representative, or the one where his efforts can do the most good? The most extreme reps tend to come from very extreme districts, where an actual flip would be almost impossible.
---
### Author:  [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2014, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-maher-flip-the-district/680205/7 "2014-01-31T15:39:33Z")
> [@Leaffan](#):
>
> The problem is that no republicans would ever attend a Bill Maher show or pay any attention to him at all, the way he rips them apart.
He probably has his share of libertarian-ish fans. But raising money to contribute to the defeat of a Republican is not the same thing as trying to persuade Republicans.
---
### Author:  [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2014, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-maher-flip-the-district/680205/8 "2014-01-31T15:52:58Z")
And it could blow up in his face, too. Quite a lot of people will dislike their congressperson enough to vote him out…UNLESS some outsider (and, if a southern district, a YANKEE outsider) comes in and starts making fun of him and trying to keep him from getting elected. Then the congressperson becomes THEIR bastard and no outsider is going to tell THEM what to do!
---
### Author:  [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2014, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-maher-flip-the-district/680205/9 "2014-01-31T15:54:06Z")
> [@jayjay](#):
>
> Quite a lot of people will dislike their congressperson enough to vote him out…
But they usually don’t, Bill Maher or no Bill Maher.
---
### Author:  [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2014, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-maher-flip-the-district/680205/10 "2014-01-31T18:00:27Z")
> [@MacCat](#):
>
> \*\*I think it could be a very important counter balance to the $$$, FOX “_News_” and dirty tricks that the right end of the political spectrum seem to have in abundance.
>
> Maybe Stephen Colbert can join in with a little competition from the other side 😉
Colbert? Colbert is a comedian who makes money pretending to be the character he created. The funniest part of his act is that some people actually believe he’s a conservative instead of an entertainer playing a part.
---
### Author:  [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2014, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-maher-flip-the-district/680205/11 "2014-01-31T18:03:00Z")
What if O’Reilly or Hannity were to respond in kind?
---
### Author:  [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2014, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-maher-flip-the-district/680205/12 "2014-01-31T18:07:39Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#):
>
> What if O’Reilly or Hannity were to respond in kind?
This would be different from the norm for Fox News and talk radio how?
---
### Author:  [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2014, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-maher-flip-the-district/680205/13 "2014-01-31T18:12:53Z")
> [@MacCat](#):
>
> Bill Maher - Flip The District
>
> This could be very interesting…
But how many voters actually vote based on the political information they get from comedians? Comedians use heavily edited sound bites and items taken out of context to get a laugh (and get paid) but they are not the most reliable source of factual information. As it is, Maher isn’t that popular with most people. Is it because he’s biased or mean or too old, or not funny? People have their own reasons for not believing anything Maher says. That doesn’t mean people don’t laugh at him.
---
### Author:  [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2014, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-maher-flip-the-district/680205/14 "2014-01-31T18:14:00Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#):
>
> What if O’Reilly or Hannity were to respond in kind?
> [@jayjay](#):
>
> This would be different from the norm for Fox News and talk radio how?
It wouldn’t. They have an entire network devoted to this, and let’s not forget that Super PAC operator Karl Rove is a constant contributor.
---
### Author:  [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2014, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-maher-flip-the-district/680205/15 "2014-01-31T18:14:03Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#):
>
> What if O’Reilly or Hannity were to respond in kind?
As **jayjay** notes, they already do this; how would it change anything?
If you need proof, I’m sure someone out there has a video of all the times that Fox News referred to GOP candidates as “our side” or something; I know I heard it often enough during elections just from links offered here on the SDMB.
---
### Author:  [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2014, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-maher-flip-the-district/680205/16 "2014-01-31T18:38:41Z")
> [@doorhinge](#):
>
> Colbert? Colbert is a comedian who makes money pretending to be the character he created.
Hence the winky emoticon in the post you responded to.
---
### Author:  [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2014, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-maher-flip-the-district/680205/17 "2014-01-31T18:52:45Z")
> [@jayjay](#):
>
> This would be different from the norm for Fox News and talk radio how?
In targeting a single district.
---
### Author:  [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2014, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-maher-flip-the-district/680205/18 "2014-01-31T18:57:24Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#):
>
> In targeting a single district.
I wish they would. It would be preferable to the way they do it now, which is wholesale, nationwide. Targeting a single district like Maher proposes would reduce the damage they could do to 1/535th of what it currently is.
---
### Author:  [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2014, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-maher-flip-the-district/680205/19 "2014-01-31T19:15:34Z")
Well, this will “Work” insofar as Maher will secure some entertaining material, such as it is. So he could go after Louie Gohmert, even though that Tea Partying Texas Congressman is in a R+24 district.
But if Maher wants to hit the sweet spot, he will choose Steve King of Iowa. King has a sizable [stockpile](http://www.deathandtaxesmag.com/199988/30-of-congressman-steve-kings-greatest-quotes/) of loony assessments on record and presides over an R+5 swing district. Doable. Also suspenseful, which can help ratings.
---
### Author:  [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2014, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-maher-flip-the-district/680205/20 "2014-01-31T19:40:41Z")
> [@Measure\_for\_Measure](#):
>
> But if Maher wants to hit the sweet spot, he will choose Steve King of Iowa. King has a sizable [stockpile](http://www.deathandtaxesmag.com/199988/30-of-congressman-steve-kings-greatest-quotes/) of loony assessments on record . . .
[Some of them quite fresh.](http://www.politico.com/story/2014/01/steve-king-state-of-the-union-2014-executive-order-102714.html)
[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-maher-flip-the-district/680205.md?page=2)