Ian Murphy, the guy who pranked Scott Walker, is the Green Party candidate in NY-26, the seat vacated by shirtless hunk Chris Lee. I don’t think Democrats have a chance in the special anyway, and I like what he has to say.
Here’s his introductory video.
Trentrunner
I dunno. Gimmicky candidacies like this one reinforce the idea that government isn’t a serious enterprise, and that anyone, say, an Austrian action star or a porn “actress,” can do the job.
Then again, he fucked Walker good, and that makes him practically a war hero in my book.
Citizen_X
OMG, the “punk with a political agenda” who “victimized” poor son-of-Bircher David Koch! Well, he’s got my vote, or, uh, would if I lived in that district.
cathyx
I suppose I could vote for him if the other candidates are more of the same. I agree that even though he’s kinda funny, I wonder if he has any idea what he’s getting into as a governor and how well he will be able to deal with it.
Poopyman
Not a bad message actually, once you get past 68 seconds of cute. And if they sold a T-shirt with that seal on it I’d totally buy it.
Superluminar
The Democrats don’t deserve to have a chance in NY-26 or NY-Anywhere, being such sellouts as to be de facto worse than the Repubs. The Greens would be far better as a vehical for liberal votes, and voting for them over the fifth columnist Dems would certainly prevent Rethug leaders getting elected and Rethug policies getting enacted the way they have been under Barry “Bush was ok, really” Obama. DougJ I cannot believe you are naive enough to only support the GP in this one district, and the Dems in all others, when the latter will surely sell you out. Sorry that I am so angry about this, but I can’t stand to see more of our ideals sold out by the cult of Obama that is the present day Dems. Call me a Greenbagger if you must be so childish, but I SHALL stand firm.
Poopyman
@cathyx: Um, “MurphycanhasCongress“
Comrade DougJ
@Superluminar:
The Greens don’t usually talk the way this guy goes.
Some asswipe on the internet
@Trentrunner:
candidacies like this one reinforce the idea that government isn’t a serious enterprise
cathyx
@Poopyman: oops.
In that case, he would have no problem learning the ropes. He should go for it.
M-Pop
Yes, plz. More Ian Murphys running for office.
Go! Now! Move to NY’s 26 and vote for this man in whatever month’s special election!
scav
Monster Raving Loony Party for, well, at least a little bit!
joe from Lowell
I am all for cranking up the level of smartass in the House of Representatives.
Barney Frank is just one man.
joe from Lowell
@Superluminar:
Well, you see, we’ve actually found a Green Party candidate who doesn’t remind us of you.
Superluminar
@DougJ
The
GreensDems don’t usually talk the waythis guyObama Does.Fixed. Don’t be taken in by a candidate who talks the talk you do if he can’t fo the walk too, no matter if his skin is black or green.
David Koch
I approve this message. How good are you at keeping your funding sources quiet?
Do you think drugging the water supply would be an effective way to make the message “The best way to prevent Republican policies is to allow Republicans to win elections,” appear plausible?
Cat Lady
That’s a very entertaining introduction. He’s got a Wonkette commenter vibe that may make him the right guy at the right time for fed up voters. He, Barney and Anthony Weiner could make Boehner cry every day.
Omnes Omnibus
@Superluminar: FWIW one of the problems I have had with the Green Party in areas where I have lived is that it has not worked to field candidates in local elections to build a GOTV networks and develop candidates for higher office. They seem primarily to run for national office and serve to siphon off leftish voters from Democrats without actually being viably electable. Elect some aldermen, school board members, and a mayor or two, and things might change.
Joey Maloney
There’s a passage in one of Robert B. Parker’s Spenser detective novels where the title character muses on this. I forget the title and don’t have it to hand, but it’s the one where Spenser is hired to provide security for a politician. He’s reading up on the political coverage and it occurs to him that nobody involved in politics takes it seriously the way they take, say, love seriously. They take it seriously the way they take baseball seriously: Nobody talks about whether the candidates’ policies will be good for people or bad for people. It’s all about who’s ahead and who’s behind, who had the best strategy, who made the dumbest error, who won and who lost. They take it seriously but at the end of the day it’s just a game and there’s always next year.
ETA: @Omnes Omnibus: This.
amk
@Superluminar: You seem to be suffering from ods much. You a Firebagger ?
Gin & Tonic
@Superluminar:
Link?
Superluminar
@Omnes Omnibus; Joey Maloney
But it doesn’t matter if you win or lose at either national or local level if the result is the same anyhow. By virtue of running in the first place (even if this means spoiling the corrupted Dems chances), awareness is built of what truly matters and holding on to office will likely do nothing to actually change things, so why not just go for the conscious-raising?
scav
Don’t confuse seriousness with solemnity, especially po-faced solemnity. We’ve suffered through enough superficial assumed-for-the-cameras decorum that only serves as a comfortable veneer for gentile Randian-approved looting.
Superluminar
@amk
sigh. I guess someone was childish enough to use the bagger suffix on me. I don’t like fire much, I prefer Green. What is “ods” or are you struggling with the English language?
Superluminar
@Gin & Tonic
Link to what? It’s self-evident.
scav
@Gin & Tonic:
Hell, I think they should show their math.
Omnes Omnibus
@Superluminar: Two things to say in response to that. First, I have never been a fan of heightening the contradictions. I think too many people get hurt in the meantime. Second, the lack of willingness to run in low level elections and build an organization from the ground up smacks of a dilettantism by a group of white middle class purists.
Gin & Tonic
@Superluminar: If it’s self-evident, then you’ll have no trouble identifying examples where it’s happened, or presenting polling data showing how it could happen.
Hawes
I’d love to see him win, just to outrage the punditry. While I agree with a lot of commentators that many people participating in politics see it as sort of a joke (or at least the policy part of it, raising money and winning elections is serious as shit), the punditry depends on people taking it seriously.
Otherwise, why suffer through 500 words of Bobo ever again?
amk
@Superluminar: Those who suffer from ods don’t know it. That’s the beauty of it.
Superluminar
@amk
so this non-existent word is, in fact, non-existent. I’m surprised.
Chyron HR
@Superluminar:
It means “Obama Derangement Syndrome”.
Not that you don’t have perfectly valid reasons for opposing the “Halfrican Muslim welfare thug pimp house Nigger black Jesus”, of course.
Citizen_X
@Superluminar:
Is this a fucking joke? Consciousness-raising? Seriously?
I don’t know if you’ve been paying attention to current events lately, but where have there been any Dems equal to Govs. Walker, Kasich, or Snyder? These people are doing real damage to real poor and middle-class Americans, and you still think the Democrats are the same? Fuck off!
OTOH, if it is a joke, you’ve played it over our heads.
jayjaybear
@Cat Lady: Boehner already cries every day, usually just after the liquor bottle empties.
amk
@Superluminar: teh google is your friend when you’re an ignoramus.
Superluminar
@ Omnes Omnibus
oh ok, who’s the racist now? You know some of the closest activists I know are members of non-white groups and would resent that. Not everyone who’s black loves President
BushObama, so I would suggest you don’t try that tired trope again, asshole. And as for “heightening the contradictions”, why guys like you and DougJ do that everyday with your milquetoast commentry and constant quest for the ideal “reasonable conservative”. Good luck with that, we Greenbaggers will watch in our rear view mirrors as you sellouts trip and fall in the corporate dust of history.Gin & Tonic
It’s lunchtime. I could go for a slice of pie.
Superluminar
@Chyron HR
I assume that was snark, but it was pretty poorly deployed, as Saint Obama has no one but himself to blame for those admittedly distasteful epitaphs considering his obsequience before the very forces that invent them.
Omnes Omnibus
@Superluminar:Who called anyone a racist? I certainly did not. Also, when have I gone searching for a reasonable conservative? You need to step the fuck back. I pointed out a couple of issues that I have with the way the Green Party functions in the areas in which I have lived and this causes you to tell me I am a sellout? It is clear that you are someone whose commentary I need not longer take seriously. Have a nice day.
scav
@Gin & Tonic: Lemon tart for me. I like that real solid acidic tartness that turns up more there than in the purity pies.
Superluminar
@amk
well whose the idiot here? I, yourself and everyone else here are not “ignoramuses”, we’re homo sapiens. Jeez, I didn’t know anyone could be so dense!
amk
@Superluminar: cure for ods is fdl.
Superluminar
Well that was fun. I have far far too much time on my hands…
amk
@Superluminar: teh dictionary is a good friend for illiterates.
Commenting at Ballon Juice since 1937
Believe me, they aren’t even trying. Both parties have one requirement in this race: can you self fund it? The Repugs signed up another richy rich wingnut, one with a vagina this time. The dems just flounder around – they’ll have their private get togethers with other dems and wonder why they haven’t connected with the electorate. I’m registered Green so at least I have a candidate I don’t mind voting for.
Tim, Interrupted
@Superluminar:
Don’t waste too much finger-typing on the Obots here, Superluminar. Their solution to everything the spineless Dems jointly fuck up is to elect more spineless Dems. Obama is just the most prominent example of this type of thinking. More than two years into his right of center, conservative administration they are still pretending he supports progressive ideals.
And you will never dissuade them of the fantasy that every lefty voter preemptively OWES their vote to a Dem. Dem candidates don’t have to earn our votes, oh no, we are obligated to give it to them. And if we choose to vote for a non-Dem candidate we believe has more integrity and more fully represents liberal/progressive beliefs, why then we’re ACTUALLY voting for Republicans you see. Got that?
PJO
I love the Tommy Shanks homage (for those too young to remember, SCTV’s Reaganesque Mayor of Melonville) – he’d get my vote for that, if for nothing else.
SonofMog
This is the greatest thing ever. I’m giving him money. It’s not wasted if he can use it to make me laugh. And I bet he gets more votes than the usual earnest Greenies.
b-psycho
@Trentrunner:
Considering the outcome with the constant string of Serious People in charge — endless militarism and corporate-state collusion — if we must have a government I’d prefer it be run by admitted clowns.
cs
@joe from Lowell:
Don’t forget Weiner. We have two, unless I’ve forgotten one of the less memorable smartasses.