John Belushi is dead.
Regards,
Shodan
Franklin never held any elected position above the state level, though. Sometimes I wonder how much of a glut of qualified politicians they must have had back then, that the country could have afforded to not elect Franklin to anything.
How’s Francisco Franco doing?
Does the comedian list include Jeff Sessions? Alabamians keep re-electing that joke .
Because in 1789 Franklin was 83 years old and dying. He lived only until April of 1790. He was a previous generation.
Comedians and humorists have known for a long time what a great opportunity running for presidency afforded them. Besides Will Rogers, W. C. Fields, Gracie Allen, Eddie Cantor, and Jimmy Durante all made well publicized publicity stunts out of it.
Like Wendell Wagner, though, I can’t think of anybody who was a professional comedian or humorist who was elected to a high political office. But I also can’t think of any comedian or humorist who had been seriously commenting on politics long enough to be taken seriously as a candidate. I study American humor pretty carefully, too, so I’m sure I would have noticed. Franken is undoubtedly a first.
Presumably, the same stuff as the people of California, who elected Reagan and Scwarzenegger to the Governor’s office.
Given the current skill of politicians I don’t see where we need anything beyond the level of professional clown to represent us. How hard is to NOT read a bill that spends other people’s money. Just vote they way you’re told and remember to blame your accountant for any tax transgressions. Franken is going to fit right in.
I’m just wondering, do you ever base your opinions on facts?
I doubt he’ll be the last. Jon Stewart is seriously blurring the line between “comedian” and “pundit.” While I suspect a Sunday morning talk show with a major network is in his immediate future, I wouldn’t rule out a run for Congress at some point for him.
Fond as I am of Stewart I highly doubt a guy who’s discussed his own pot use on national TV can win a Congressional election.
Why not? Both Obama and Clinton admitted to having tried it.
They reelected Michele Bachmann so, whatever it is, it has some nasty side effects.
Lemme check. Let’s see… yup, still dead.
Tried it, but not smoked it on a regular basis.
Forget about pot. There is no way anybody could get elected to anything once those those pictures of his rediculous 80’s MTV clothes make the rounds. You would do better to have a signed picture with Hilter on your desk.
Will said his job wasn’t so tough. Every time congress made a law, there was a joke. Unfortunately, every time they made a joke, it was a law.
(I hope I didn’t botch that quote too badly.)
Franken admitted to being a user in his younger days. Swarzaneggar is on video smoking and certainly looked like he knew what he was doing, Obama admitted to using marijuna and when he could afford it, cocaine in HS, which seems a lot more then simply “trying it”.
I don’t think past use is much of a disqualifier to public office these days, though you probably need to both have it be a ways in the past and be able to mumble something about making poor chocies and such when you actually run. Willie Nelson is probably still not gonna get into the WH.
You mean the fact that we have politiicians who rush through pork bills without reading them or Franken’s problem with Tax Accountants?
I think the issue of pot use has rotated generationally to the point where most voters don’t see past use by political candidates as even being particularly interesting, much less disqualifying. Pretty much anyone under 70 has either done it or been around people who have, so it’s not scary to anyone the way it used to be. The last three Presidents have admitted to it with barely a ripple. If anything, I think it’s seen as a marginal positive, in that it lends a little populist credibility.
I do think there is still an expectation that pot use should be in the past, though, preferably far in the past. Someone like Jon Stewart or Bill Maher who are open about recent and (at least in Maher’s case) current use would probably encounter a lot more hassle about it. It is still illegal, after all.
As to the OP, Reagan was a comic actor. He did those Bonzo movies, which are at least as slapstick as anything Franken (or Arnie or Jesse) ever did on screen.
Here’s an idea: Why don’t we wait unitl he’s actually in the Senate before we decide what a terrible senator he is.