“The Presidential candidacy as joke is a perennial sideshow along the raucous midway of the American political carnival. Sometimes the candidate—Will Rogers (1928), Gracie Allen (1940), Pat Paulsen (1968 through 1996), Stephen Colbert (2008)—is a fully qualified professional humorist. Sometimes he, or it, is an animal, barnyard (Pigasus, the Yippie mascot, 1968) or cartoon (Pogo, the comic-strip possum, 1952).” Trumpery by Hendrik Hertzberg in the New Yorker, 5/2/11
“…a time-honored American tradition of joke candidacies, which included the Presidential campaigns of humorists like Will Rogers (1928, 1932), W.C. Fields (1940), Gracie Allen (1940), Pat Paulsen (1968, 1972, 1992, 1996) and Steven Colbert (2008), cartoon characters like Walt Kelly’s Pogo (1952, 1956, 1960, 1968), and Dennis Kucinich [a dead ringer for Roger Rabbit, right down to the wife–even Sarkozy is jealous](2004, 2008), and swine like Pigasus (1968) and Ralph Nader (1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008)” “Reporting for Duty by Gatemouth on Room 8, 12/18/08 (and, in slightly different form, anonymously, on 3/7/07)
It has always been my dream to be quoted by a writer I admired and aspired to as much as Rick Hertzberg. The best I’ve ever done is Mickey Kaus.
As anyone who might care probably already knows, Hertzberg is right behind Kinsley as a Gatemouth favorite. I’ve linked to him countless times, and have even endorsed his cause celebre,NPV.
It hurt badly enough when the guy ignored my Facebook friend request.
But to cop from me without either link or attribution?
I am cut to the quick.