With Your Drums and Guns and Your Guns and Drums

The rise of Lt. Gov. David Paterson in New York takes me back to the sleepy 2006 campaign for governor. Paterson has become the first black, blind governor, sure. But New York had a chance to elect its first fake Irish governor in Malachy McCourt, who "stood" (he pretentiously refused to say "ran") for governor on the Green Party ticket. It was a harmless campaign, aimed at getting 50,000 votes (which would have guaranteed the party ballot access in 2008) from liberal voters who knew Spitzer would win anyway. It didn't work, partly because McCourt gave more time in blarney-soaked interviews to magazine writers than he gave on the stump.

The campaign was no Mailer for mayor; it was not even another Kinky for governor. But it had its moments. Here's video of McCourt's announcement, where he proposed converting the National Guard into a peaceful environmental cleanup organization. And here's a long, incoherent speech that was half-spoke, half-sun at a metro NYC rally. Two highlights:

Every time the wanker Bush crosses the state line, we would arrest him!

[On what soldiers should say to Bush] Thank you very much, and go fuck yourself!

Jesse Walker on William F. Buckley's run for mayor here .