Leave 'Em Laughing

Al Gore announced he wouldn't run for president right after he hosted Saturday Night Live. Now Carol Moseley Braun is withdrawing from the race just a day after she appeared on The Daily Show. Politicians used to go on TV to advance their political ambitions; these days those ambitions look like an excuse to appear on their favorite TV shows.

I had planned to wrap this up with a link to the Daily Show interview (where Moseley Braun actually came off pretty well), but I can't find it online. That's OK; watch this instead.

Comments

[Douglas Fletcher]

Well, Carol's big enough for two, how's that?

[finger lickin' good]

Throw in Aretha Franklin and we've got a party!
Har Har.

[Mr. Nice Guy]

I think Carol MB played her cards very well.

From what I understand, she is strongly against the drug war. Too bad only the fringe candidates have the courage to bring it to the table. Perhaps because they have "nothing to lose".

[Nick]

"There is nothing that M-B and Sharpton share, that all other candidates do not, except their race."
Yeah, lumping those two together must have had to be because of racism. It couldn't have been something else, like say the fact that Moseley-Braun's highlight during the campaign was to tell Sharpton to stop bashing Dean over race issues (something only another black candidate could have done). Or the fact that while Moseley-Braun and Sharpton probably never expected to win and just joined the campaign to raise issues (possibly including raising awareness of black and women politicians), Kucinich is such an idiot he honestly expects to be president this time next year. I mean honestly, what does the man bring to the debate? The Department of Peace, Flowers and Rainbows?

[ed]

Nick,
For the entertainment loss only, I was kinda sad when Bob Graham dropped out. I think he sensed that every other question would have focused on his little spiral notebooks. He truly thought he could win, too. Either all these "true believers" are in complete denial or they're accomplished liars.

Hmmm, politicians...liars...politicians...liars...

[Pete Guither]

She did come off well. I think politicians can relax a bit on the Daily Show (all the candidates should be on there - and not just when they withdraw). I got a kick out of her showing off her sci-fi interests with the Star Trek references and "Fear is the mind-killer" (from Frank Herbert's Dune) quote.

[joe]

She achieved exactly what she intended - she's once again a credible public figure. Maybe not presidential material (yet?), but seems a lot more reliable than Dennis Kucinich.

[ed]

Braun and Sharpton ARE a daily show.

[joe]

Now why would anyone lump those two together? Whatever could it be?

[Angus Jung]

"Now why would anyone lump those two together?"

They both ran for President?

[ed]

I would have added Kucinich but I thought it would be redundant.

[joe]

See, that would have come across entirely differently.

[R. C. Dean]

"Now why would anyone lump those two together?"

They both ran for President even though they must both know they have no earthly chance at winning?

[R. C. Dean]

See, that would have come across entirely differently.

How so, joe?

[Xrlq]

It may be true that political ambitions are an excuse to appear on TV shows, but I'm not sure there's really a trend toward going on funny TV shows to leave a race rather than to advance it. Arnold Schwarzenegger's campaign for governor last year began on Leno. Since then, we've seen Al Sharpton's Casa de Sushi on SNL, and Dick Gephardt was on Letterman just about a week ago.

[ed]

Anyway, it's not about "race", Joe, if that's what you're getting at. Gephardt shares many of their views and he's so white he's damn near invisible.

[joe]

"'See, that would have come across entirely differently.'

"How so, joe?"

He wouldn't have been singling out the only two black candidates. It would have been clear that he was talking about bottom tier candidates who act looney and are entertaining.

But even that would have been a little off, since Carol has been a model of decorum throughout the campaign, and not nearly as interesting as Sharpton or Kucinich. There is nothing that M-B and Sharpton share, that all other candidates do not, except their race.

[Jesse Walker]

I'm not sure there's really a trend toward going on funny TV shows to leave a race rather than to advance it.

The old saw among reporters is that it takes three cases to make a trend. I guess we need one more. :>