This is the guy that the Hochul campaign is sending into nursing homes to talk about Medicare in NY-26. I wish that the average Democratic Congressman or Senator could be half as articulate as he is in the second minute of this interview.
(via Buffalopundit who has many more NY-26 items)
cleek
wow. that’s pretty cool.
just based on his Sha-Na-Na character, policy wonk and political activist is the last thing i would’ve expected Bowser to end up as.
Fred
While he is articulate and all. I don’t know if I would want to make too much noise about Bowser endorsing me. That could be too easy to make into fodder by the white wing.
All they gotta do is bring up some old video of him dancing around on stage being all goofy.
bk
I know him; he is a VERY bright guy.
Yutsano
@Fred: Ronaldus Magnus. How quickly we forget.
Mary Jane
He was with Taryn Clark at Netroots Nation last year. I agree with bk. Jon is smart, serious and informed, and a genuinely nice person. It was a pleasure chatting with him.
artem1s
@Fred:
unlike the current GOP candidates who are willing to be ‘all goofy’ in real time.
The Dangerman
Wouldn’t have recognized him without the gold suit and the 30-weight.
I think Hochul wins this race; since I also had Hucks not running and Daniels sitting it out, this prediction would make it a Turkey (bowling term). Speaking of turkeys, I say Palin jumps in the race or she will bequeath her money train to Bachman; indeed, I suspect Palin jumps in before Bachmann makes it official.
Xecky Gilchrist
@Fred: Indeed. This is why no comedians have ever been elected to the Senate.
Cat Lady
If the Dems can’t hang this Ryan Medicare budget vote boat anchor around the necks of every single one of these stupid assholes it’s hopeless. That vote, and the litmus test for “serious” candidates Ryan’s plan has become, is the best thing ever to happen to Dems – it’s a fumble in the other team’s end zone, and they just need to fall on the ball. It’s a no-brainer.
scav
@Yutsano: Ah yes, prancing about with a monkey is presidential, prancing without one is merely silly. Schwarzenegger and Fred Grandy were equally dignified in all their endeavors.
Barb (formerly Gex)
@Xecky Gilchrist: I see what you did there. Also too, wrestlers can’t be elected governor.
Minnesota is weird.
Ash Can
@The Dangerman:
Given Palin’s love of attention, I can see that happening. In fact, I can see her finding out when Bachmann would be announcing, then making her own announcement a day or even a matter of hours before Bachmann made hers. Then she’d insist publicly that it was all just a coincidence, while saying privately, “There ain’t enough room in this spotlight for both of us, chickie.”
Bill Murray
@The Dangerman: you’re especially golden if the election is on the 10th
Amy
I’m less than 55 and have paid into Medicare for 35 years or so — I expect to get coverage at 65 and I bet every other person in my age group does, too.
Democrats should be going after all voters on Medicare. The program has been around ALMOST 50 YEARS. We have lived with it a long time and we all know we need it.
Also, it would be great if Obama and other Democrats would say that the next thing they’d like to do on health care is add a national public option to the exchanges. Even if Obama can’t get it done, it’s a popular policy idea and would be a great contrast to the Republicans.
asiangrrlMN
@Xecky Gilchrist: For the fucking win. And, I’m proud he’s my senator.
@Barb (formerly Gex: No shit.
@Yutsano: How you be?
ETA: I’d vote for Bowser if I could.
Yutsano
@asiangrrlMN: You folks may be weird, but we still luvs ya anyway. Well at least I do. :)
Hi hon. I must be bored, I’m going back and forth with our local village idiot.
JPL
I hope the dems have a good get out the vote campaign.
PurpleGirl
It isn’t just that he was/is articulate. He explained his ideas in easy to understand words, in words the listeners would understand. Schumer would probably use two or three words for each one Jon Bauman used.
And even if the people didn’t recognize him at first, once they realized who he was, they would be surprised and glad to hear and see him. He’d connect with them. They’d remember the Sha-Na-Na act and the music they played. Some of the people he’s talking to were probably among his fans.
Fred
@artem1s: Does not matter what the GOP does. They could do no wrong. The double standard goes without saying.
Bottom line is that 30% of America will vote for Rethugs no matter what!
asiangrrlMN
@Yutsano: Thanks. I’m not feeling the love for Minnesotans right now. Gr. If you break the toy, I’m not getting you a new one.
FlipYrWhig
Never let it be forgotten that Sha Na Na played Woodstock.
Jazz Superluminar
@Fred
“white wing”
you should probably retire that phrase, given the angst it caused last time… Just sayin’.
scav
@Yutsano: Well, she’s hav[ing] a stellar day: our trolls are now questioning her sanity.
Barb (formerly Gex)
@scav: Not to mention Sonny Bono.
Omnes Omnibus
@scav: Yeah, that made me laugh.
Jewish Steel
@FlipYrWhig:
Beat me to it!
I agree w/cleek up there. When I saw Sha na na, Bowser and “campaign” my first thought was Tea party. What a delightful surprise.
Now show us those famous biceps, Bowser!
Barb (formerly Gex)
@asiangrrlMN: Plus Sha-Na-Na covers the classics from the 50’s – or their era of
white supremacyparadise on Earth. They should be a-ok with Bowser. Well, except he’s a traitor to their cause.Yutsano
@scav: @Omnes Omnibus: Can I just blame the full moon and call it good? Of course that little factoid has me dreading work tomorrow yet somehow I will muddle through.
@asiangrrlMN: Your representative governors can DIAF. I am, however, lurving your new gov. I wonder how many more times he’s gonna tell off the legislature before the rest of your statefolk wake the fuck up.
bk
Their rendition at Woodstock of “At The Hop” remains a classic!
Fred
@Xecky Gilchrist: By what? about 1000votes? We both know that is an intellectually dishonest argument so I won’t waste keystrokes on all the reasons why.
Fred
@Jazz Superluminar: Advice duly noted and promptly ignored.
debbie
I’d stand Bowser against Chuck Norris, Ted Nugent, or Victoria Jackson any day.
Yutsano
@Fred: And Rutherford B Hayes won by one vote. What is your fucking point? Last time I checked he was still on the roster of Presidents and Al Franken is still the sitting junior Senator from Minnesota. How much you win by is just horserace bullshit.
MikeJ
Thank god most people aren’t so stupid they don’t know the difference between a role an entertainer plays and the actual person.
Anon
“Bowser” attended Julliard and graduated from Columbia University. It’s no surprise that he is articulate.
Malron aka eclecticbrotha
I guess all that practice he got selling Time-Life CDs of the greatest hits of the 50s and 60s came in handy. I was hoping he’d strike the pose at the end.
Barb (formerly Gex)
@Yutsano: I thought 50% + 1 was mandate territory. Oh yeah – only for Republicans.
Jazz Superluminar
@Fred
well that certainly sounds like your regular idiocy here. Here’s some more advice you can duly ignore: don’t drink Drano, I’ve heard it’s bad for you.
Janeane The Acerbic Goblin
That was good to hear. Would be nice if all the Dems were on the same page as Bauman and not undermining the message of saving Medicare (like Dickus Durbin who was reportedly willing to give up 400 billion dollars of it just to cut a deal with the GOP).
That little clip almost makes up for Bauman’s abysmal performance as co-host of the Match Game/Hollywood Squares hour.
mellowjohn
excellent job of staying on message.
Janeane The Acerbic Goblin
@Ash Can:
Conservative catfight!
I have this sinking feeling that Bachmann might be the nominee.
Janeane The Acerbic Goblin
@mellowjohn:
Something Dems don’t do as often as they should.
Yutsano
@Janeane The Acerbic Goblin: I’m saying it again and I still believe it: Brokered. Convention. Bank on it.
fbihop
The main thing that I remember about Bowzer from Sha Na Na is when he came to New Mexico to advocate for the Truth in Music Advertising Act.
This basically means that people wouldn’t be able to advertise that The Coasters or The Platters or some other act, usually from that era, are coming when there are no original members left.
Here’s a post on it from a political and music writer in Santa Fe.
http://roundhouseroundup.blogspot.com/2009/03/roundhouse-roundup-truth-in-music-act.html
Geeno
I remember Bowser doing get out and vote ads in the 70’s. He couldn’t be controversial without messing up his paycheck, but he’s been politically active for a long time.
And I had heard about his background at Juliard and Columbia back then, it made his act more enjoyable on some level to me.
Comrade Baron Elmo
Man, I used to make fun of Bowser all the time, as Sha Na Na member, variety show jackass, game show host and commercial shill, but no more. He was magnificent in his ability to express ideas simply and directly.
Reminded me of the clip I once saw of Al Franken calmly explaining the Affordable Care Act to a scared and inclined-to-be-hostile group of seniors. If anything, he was even more awesome than Bowser.
Maybe the Dems need to recruit entertainment figures to lay out their positions on the issues instead of doing it themselves… listen, it could only be an improvement.
Temporarily Max McGee (soon enough to be Andy K again)
@FlipYrWhig:
Okay, I’ll be that guy: Yes, Sha Na Na played at Woodstock. Bowzer, however, did not. He joined the group in 1970, replacing the original bass vocalist, Alan Cooper, when Cooper decided to pursue an academic career.
piratedan
@Fred: ahh yes, his legacy will always be, he won, but it was really really close, kind of like that election of President Bush that resulted in his “mandate” et al…..
Steve
Aren’t nursing homes typically paid for with MediCAID, not MediCARE? Like, not the program Ryan wants to cut in 10 years, but the one he wants to slash to ribbons right now?
goblue72
@Anon: Not just him – Sha Na Na started as an a capella group at Columbia. I can’t help but think there was a fair bit of self-consciousness irony in their nostalgia act. Similar to the “yes, we are aware of our artifice” Vampire Weekend – another rock act to come out of Columbia.