Remember, A Vote For The FX Party Is A Vote For America
	found on Variety via Yahoo written by Ernest333, edited by John (Plastic) [ read unedited ] posted Fri 20 Sep 4:21pm
		"The 2000 Presidential election showed what a joke our current electoral system is in so many ways. But should we just throw in the towel and hand off our electoral process to a game show? Some say big media already decides our presidential elections, but Rupert Murdoch wants to make it official. In the tradition of 'American Idol' and 'Who Want To Be a Millionare?' he proposes 'American Candidate', in which the network will run a candidate in the actual 2004 election," Ernest333 writes. "Is this Murdoch's own way of expressing his pride in American democracy, or a cynical attempt by the head of FOX News to manipulate the 2004 presidental election's outcome? Or perhaps he is just trying to make a buck." The FX channel will beat HBO's very similar show to the punch - HBO's version is for the 2012 elections.

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show almost all: 28 commentsbest: 2 comments by oldest first (ignore threads) newest first highest scores first oldest first newest first (ignore threads)

1.  I'm torn   by geekybob       at Fri 20 Sep 4:27pm score of 1     I'm not sure if I should decry this development, or blend away the gray and go for it! Geeky Bob, the lazy slob... he'll lower your taxes and find you a job! Now accepting donations... I'm not a Democrat, I'm a liberal. Democrats go to meetings.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

8.  Re: I'm torn   by rm421       at Fri 20 Sep 9:30pm score of 2 helpful   in reply to comment 1     OK, Geekybob, to demonstrate that you're qualified, complete this sentence: "Fool me once, _______________ "   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

2.  Sad to think.   by MAYORBOB       at Fri 20 Sep 4:40pm score of 1     The Presidential campaign slogan goes in a half century from "I Like Ike" to "I Leik Pokemon". Of course, it will probably turn out that the finalists have to sign a personal services contract with Murdoch to do whatever the hell that Bill O'Reilly tells them to do. Tending to final details.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

3.  The only difference between TV and real life...   by Brian Jones       at Fri 20 Sep 5:19pm score of 2 witty     ...is a small matter of timing. In American Candidate, the nasty British judge gets to tell the candidates what idiots they are before they get elected. I'd watch that. Cheap crass attention-whoring plug goes here.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

4.  What's New?   by automaticvenus       at Fri 20 Sep 5:57pm score of 1.5 clever     Oh, the irony. Doesn't most of America already vote based on how a candidate comes across on TV?   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

5.  We already have not one, but two such shows...   by tamim       at Fri 20 Sep 6:06pm score of 1.5 brilliant     ... on TV in the two national conventions: Democratic National Convention, Republican National Convention. The Dems even packed theirs with a healthy dose of sex too.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

6.  logical extension?   by DEMachina       at Fri 20 Sep 6:09pm score of 1     Well, TV has been important for Presidential candidates ever since Kennedy beat Nixon after wearing make-up for a televised debate (flame retardant: I know correlation does not prove causality). I frankly don't see how anyone can decry this; the spirit behind a democracy is that anybody can run, and the one the People choose to be the most capable leader wins. It makes no difference whence they come, nor how they got into the public eye; if the people decide he or she is the best person for the job, then that's it. Now, if they're just doing it to make a quick buck (which is probably the case), then perhaps they are cheapening the whole idea, but as I said, the bottom line is that whoever the most people vote for wins, which is as it should be in a society which calls itself a democracy. Q: What do you think of Western civilization? Gandhi: I think it would be a good idea.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

7.  At least he can't be any worse for the economy.   by phenry       at Fri 20 Sep 6:29pm score of 1.5 funny     A panel of yet-to-be-determined experts will assess the applicant pool and choose about 100 candidates for the start of the series. Ironically, it won't even be the first election this decade in which the winners are hand-picked by a small number of unelected judges. phh | Away for 3 years and still in the karma top 50! Woo hoo!   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

9.  - - -   by MrBurnst       at Sat 21 Sep 6:18am score of 1     Vote XYZ and we can guarantee 24 new episodes of friends in 2005... whippie!   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

10.  could it be worse?   by timnet       at Sat 21 Sep 6:33am score of 1     When you consider that our two political parties couldn't find us better candidates than George W. Bush and Al Gore last time around, I'd say there's at least a chance FX can dig up someone better out of the proverbial dumpster. I wonder if Ross Perot will apply to be a contestant, now that Pat Buchanan has stolen his party... "I feel like I wouldn't like me if I met me." -- Tegan and Sara   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

11.  Now That's Reality   by ms_sue_collins       at Sat 21 Sep 9:56am score of 1     From the L.A. Times article about the "American Candidate": Asked whether potential contestants will be asked during the screening process to explain how a bill becomes a law, Cutler, the producer, said: "I'm sure at a point during the process they will have to demonstrate their knowledge of American government." He added, however, that "it will be up to viewers to decide" how informed a president they want. As usual, it's our fault. It's a dog's life   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

14.  And you know the question that's ...   by MAYORBOB       at Sat 21 Sep 4:50pm score of 1   in reply to comment 11     ... going to be on the mind of any number of Americans -- boxers or jockeys? Tending to final details.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   15.  Re: And you know the question that's ...   by ms_sue_collins       at Sat 21 Sep 5:52pm score of 1   in reply to comment 14     going to be on the mind of any number of Americans -- boxers or jockeys? Or thongs, MAYORBOB. It's a dog's life   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   17.  None of the above...   by Brian Jones       at Sun 22 Sep 3:54pm score of 1   in reply to comment 15     ...it's tights and a codpiece! Cheap crass attention-whoring plug goes here.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   22.  Re: Now That's Reality   by toothless joe       at Mon 23 Sep 6:43am score of 0.5 modappeal   in reply to comment 11     As usual, it's our fault. Don't blame me. I voted for Kodos. » born » tagged » tattooed » pacified »   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

12.  The fine print   by pyramid termite       at Sat 21 Sep 1:18pm score of 1     "1. I hereby consent to Producer's filming, taping and/or recording of me for use in and in connection with the Series ... I acknowledge and agree that Producer will be the sole and exclusive owner of all rights and material filmed, taped, and/or recorded pursuant to this Agreement." "... I understand that, in and in connection with the Series, I may reveal and/or relate, and other parties ... may reveal and/or relate information about me of a personal, private, intimate, surprising, defamatory, disparaging, embarrassing or unfavorable nature, that may be factual and/or fictional." "2. Confidentiality/Disclosures: Any and all information disclosed to or obtained by me concerning or relating to the Series, the contestants, the events contained in the Series, the outcome of the Series and/or contest, Producer, the Network and the terms and conditions of this Agreement shall be strictly confidential. 5. Future Agreements: Notwithstanding the other provisions of this Section C, I understand and agree that in the event I am one of the final ten (10) contestants in the Competition, I will be required to enter into the following agreements: (a) an agreement with American Politics Inc. (or an affiliated company) for my exclusive services as a President; (b) an agreement with American Politics Inc. for the use of my name, likeness biography in connection with advertising, endorsement, merchandising and sponsorship; and (c) an agreement with American Politics Inc. for the management of my career as the leader of the corpor^H^H^H^H^free world. I also agree that any digital rights management legislation submitted to me by Congress that has the approval of American Politics Inc. will be signed by me. Failure to do so will result in immediate activation of the pre-election resignation rider and I will forfeit the office of President.   Ahh, what the hell - business as usual, right?   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

13.  Re: The fine print   by asthmaticeog       at Sat 21 Sep 3:01pm score of 1.5 astute   in reply to comment 12     Really, just the last two sentences of the 5th clause say it all: I also agree that any digital rights management legislation submitted to me by Congress that has the approval of American Politics Inc. will be signed by me. Failure to do so will result in immediate activation of the pre-election resignation rider and I will forfeit the office of President. Also, I just heard on NPR (literally 10 minutes ago, in the car, so I don't have a link, sorry) that a broadcasting company in Argentina is doing the same show, only it's for a seat in their congress. (The same broadcaster, according to the report I heard, is also doing a game show where the winner gets a job.) Perfect is the enemy of good.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   18.  Those last two lines - no biggy   by Brian Jones       at Sun 22 Sep 4:08pm score of 1   in reply to comment 13     Plan A: My first move as President - get on the horn with Larry Flynt and Matt Drudge. As president, I'll be taking aside the pertinent committee chairpeople and making it abundantly clear that the status of Federal spending in their home districts will depend very much on any such digital-rights legislation's becoming inextricably tied up in committee. Unless said chairmen would like to see the number of interns they've been bagging listed in box-score format on Page 1 of USA Today. Plan B: my running mate will be Jesse Ventura. Now then, Rupe...do you really want me to resign? Cheap crass attention-whoring plug goes here.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   21.  Re: The fine print.   by Peter Murphy       at Mon 23 Sep 3:16am score of 1   in reply to comment 12     Well, I can see the political campaign now: Candidate X: The best politician that Murdoch can buy. But how binding is the contract? I also agree that any digital rights management legislation submitted to me by Congress that has the approval of American Politics Inc. will be signed by me. Failure to do so will result in immediate activation of the pre-election resignation rider and I will forfeit the office of President. Now that's a lovely constitutional case study. Don't sitting presidents have to be impeached by Congress and convicted by the Senate first? And couldn't the winning candidate flip the bird to Murdoch easily enough? Sign an executive order to void this little bit of legalese? You know, it's times like this when I'm glad Australia has a parliamentary system. There are no fast lanes to the prime ministership; you've got to get the support of at least a majority of parliament to get the job. This implies that the guy has spent a lot of time in politics, and belongs to one of the major parties. It's boring, but it's safe. Oh, Murdoch could try running an independent, and even win - but independents generally don't have much power in our parliament. What's the point?   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

16.  Ratings   by TurboDog       at Sat 21 Sep 6:21pm score of 1     Rejoice democrats. If this show is successful, FOX is sure to put forth a fairly right of center candidate who will Naderize the election to the tune of 4-6%. Ensuring the victory of Gore or which ever wet noodle the Dems throw out in 04.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

19.  Coming Soon To FX   by armaxmore       at Sun 22 Sep 5:51pm score of 1     World's Wildest Presidential Campaign America's Funniest Campaign Ads America's Funniest Politicans Talk is Cheap! Free Speech Isn't!   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

23.  Re: Coming Soon To FX   by MandaX       at Mon 23 Sep 7:01am score of 1   in reply to comment 19     And don't forget an all-new season of "When Candidates Attack!" On second thought, maybe then people would watch the presidential debates. I think we're going crazy, things don't even faze me.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

20.  Maybe I'm missing something here...   by Dvandom       at Sun 22 Sep 7:35pm score of 1.5 astute     I may have skimmed over it, but how do the producers plan to get their winner on the ballot? Will it be a "Distinguished Gentleman" sort of deal, where a fringe party with ballot positions in most states is giving Fox their slot? Or are they could to canvas the US for signatures to get the winner on the ballot after he's picked? After all, many (most? ALL? Anyone know the details?) places ignore write-in votes these days. If they can't get on the ballot, it's all just a huge waste of time. Insert your own joke about the electoral process and wastes of time. ---Dave   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

30.  Re: Maybe I'm missing something here...   by Dvandom       at Wed 25 Sep 6:33pm score of 1   in reply to comment 20     Okay, according to this week's Time Magazine story on the topic, they're still working on the ballot issue. Heh. ---Dave   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

25.  Reach "Lofty Political Goal" via Game Show?   by Philosawyer       at Mon 23 Sep 11:28am score of 1     The intention is not to do a political gong show," he said. "We think we can get the audience to connect to politics, issues and the democratic process in a way they haven't been. It's a lofty goal, and we hope we can do it." It sounds like it will be very difficult to have anything but a political gong show. How are they going to go from 100 candidates down to 1 in 13 episodes (or even a lot more)? Political camaigns generally are bad enough with the amount of surface sloganeering, but limited to the framework of one particular television program. If there are serious discussions of the important issues of the day, how many people will continue to watch? All that said, there is a good chance I would watch the first show to see if it held any promise. The marketing division of the Sirius Cybernetics Corporation defines a robot as "Your plastic pal who's fun to be with."   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

26.  I'm up for it   by Prairieman       at Mon 23 Sep 2:54pm score of 1     You know, I'm ready to lead. Sign me up as an official candidate. Befoer I announce my candidacy though, lets's get some things out of the way here, before the campaign starts, just so there's no surprises to anyone out there. 1. I'm a big ole' homo. That's right folks. Queer through and through. I promise though, not to wear the tiara or the opera length gloves while being sworn in. After all, I do have some sense of decorum. That is best left for the Inaugural Ball. 2. I will make sure that my kids raise some kind of hell. After all, your kids do too (or will). Why should mine be any different? 3. I smoked. I inhaled. Boy did I inhale. For a number of years, actually. I'll even go as far as saying it was well beyond "experimentation" and into "hard core research". But as they say, "that was then". These days I merely drink occasionally. 4. I will not sell the Lincoln bedroom to the highest bidder. Rather, I will sell the entire White House to be used for all kinds of corporate and public affaires, with the proceeds going to pay down the national debt. I will move the domicile of the president to the beach, and teach the secret service how to surf. 5. I know where the countries are on the globe. And I can pronounce the English language without putting my fellow Americans to shame. 6. I care what you think. I feel your pain. I am being sincere. Really, I am. 7. I'm always right, and I never lie. Actually, that's George Leroy Tirebiter's motto, but hey, it works. 8. I will nominate George Carlin as Secretary of State, because he is a mentor and not afraid to be cranky in front of people. So vote for me. After all, if we're heading down the road to hell, let's have some fun getting there. "News is what somebody somewhere wants to suppress. Everything else is publicity." --Lord Northcliffe.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

28.  Re: I'm up for it   by jenmac       at Tue 24 Sep 8:04pm score of 1   in reply to comment 26     I'm always right, and I never lie. Actually, that's George Leroy Tirebiter's motto, but hey, it works. So, wake up [FX: smack, baby cry} and look at your only logical choice. Me. Prairieman. [VO: Paid for by the Prairieman for Political Solutions Committee, Sector R.] Mm-hmm. Yup. I like it. I'll vote for you, dude. Funnily enough, on Sunday night I went to see Mr. Show Live (a/k/a "Mr. Show with Bob and David in 'Hooray for America!'") at Town Hall in NYC. The loose theme of the show is that a corporation called GloboChem (well known to Mr. Show fans) decides to sponsor their own third-party candidate for president, and they pick David Cross. During the debates, David promises to fill his cabinet with celebrities and porn stars. Which he does. Is it sticky? Would it kill you? -- snut_rucket's son at the La Brea tar pits   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

27.  Worst. Idea. Ever.   by logan       at Mon 23 Sep 3:13pm score of 1     "After all, Kelly Clarkson was a complete unknown until "American Idol" turned her into a household name. " And as we all know, Kelly Clarkson is a musical genius, the true visionary who's revolutionized music. This is what's wrong with politics. Kelly spouts someone else's saccharine lyrics, designed to sound nice and feel good, and we all gush. In much the same way, George Bush spouts the party line that someone wrote for him, and we're supposed to swallow it. If Kelly = George, then clearly that grinning fuck with the afro who won second place has to play the Dan Quayle role. My question, turning this around, is who is the Kurt Cobain of politics? Who is the visionary who presents us with ugly truths? Who in politics refuses to clean up and present us with a pretty picture and pat answer? Who in politics inspires us to act, rather than sit back and watch it on TV? Who in politics asks us to think and decide for ourselves instead of trusting them to do it for us? Answer: nobody. And this will only make it worse. "Spockmate!"   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

29.  coming clean   by grrrl 75       at Wed 25 Sep 5:54pm score of 1     Haven't the media + politics always been sordid bedfellows? Isn't this just dropping the pretense? No one in this world, so far as I know... has ever lost money by underestimating the intelligence of the great masses of the plain people. life sucks + i couldn't be happier. people get the wrong impression of me... but it usually works in my favor.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]