Breaking News: And who cares?
Bad news for the humor quotient of the 2008 presidential campaign this afternoon.
Both the Republican and Democratic parties of South Carolina declined to include comedian Stephen Colbert on their primary ballots for Jan. 19 and 26, respectively.
Colbert, as described this morning by The Times' James Rainey -- who is not a comedian but has said some funny things over the years -- plays a faux-rightwing commentator on his own Comedy Central show.
Colbert had brightened the autumn political scene in recent days by announcing he would run in both parties' primaries in his home state and in that state only, making him something of a certain longshot to win a presidential nomination but a definite sureshot to boost sales of his new book, which we won't help him do by not mentioning its funny title.
In a shocking turn of events, initial reaction on the Colbert Report's Message Board was supportive of the would-be candidate with comments like "democrats are idiots."
The South Carolina Democrats' executive council did vote to put on the ballot real politicians named Joseph Biden, Hillary Clinton, Christopher Dodd, John Edwards, Mike Gravel, Dennis Kucinich, Barack Obama and Bill Richardson.
The Republicans set their ballot as: Hugh Cort, John Cox, Cap Fendig, Rudy Giuliani, Mike Huckabee, Duncan Hunter, John McCain, Ron Paul, Mitt Romney, Tom Tancredo and Fred Thompson.
What a laugh riot these 19 campaigns will be!
--Andrew Malcolm
Don Frederick has served as an editor helping guide coverage of every presidential election since 1984. He is a third-generation Washingtonian, so watching the political world comes naturally to him.
Andrew Malcolm's immigrant parents repeatedly stressed the importance of active participation in a democracy. Early lessons included learning the alphabetical list of states by watching televised roll calls of national political conventions. That childhood exposure led to a lifelong fascination with politics, including 40-plus years of covering them and a brief stint practicing them as press secretary to Laura Bush in 1999-2000.
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So Cap Fendig??? is on the ballot, but Stephen Colbert, who is in double digits in at least one poll, is not allowed?
I'm calling shenanigans. Everyone get their brooms.
Posted by: Spence | November 01, 2007 at 06:37 PM
It is clear that the Democratic Party machine, much like the days of Boss Tweed, wants to retain power according to their wishes.
Please recall how scared Jesse Ventura made BOTH the Democratic and Republican parties when he captured the office of Governor of Minnesota.
Heck, even California afforded an election opportunity and ultimate victory to Sonny Bono!
The fact that a small committee of “leaders” can deny ballot access is scary.
Time to learn your history, folks. Democrats and Republicans write election laws to benefit themselves. They intentionally make ballot access difficult, especially for third party candidates and candidates not to their liking.
They can give all of the excuses they want regarding the denial Mr. Colbert’s ballot access.
When you go to the ballot box, you are engaging in the process of totalitarian democracy where the plutocracy controls it all.
The American voter is denied the opportunity for much needed change when the plutocracy prevails!
The Democratic Party has now lost all credibility when it states that the elections of 2000 and 2004 were stolen from the American people.
What hypocrisy!
Posted by: retiree | November 01, 2007 at 06:54 PM
C'mon now. Mike Gravel is a more legit candidate than Stephen Colbert?
I'm sure they were worried that Colbert might actually get some delegates, and make quite a scene at the national convention.
Posted by: hb | November 01, 2007 at 07:48 PM