Stand-up comedian and Libertarian Party presidential candidate Doug Stanhope is dropping out of the presidential race. Most of you are probably asking yourself, "Who is Doug Stanhope and why should I care?"
Stanhope says he is withdrawing from the race because of Federal Elections Commission rules that prevent him from discussing his political views while simultaneously earning an income from his comedic performances.
In an e-mail to supporters, Stanhope writes: "For all of our false optimism, forced enthusiasm and the tireless effort of a small team of close friends, we couldn't get past the wall of bureaucracy."
"The idea that I could run an effective campaign rested on the fact that I tour constantly for a living and have a built-in audience and media wherever I go. FEC rules would not allow for me to campaign at paid gigs while also retaining a personal income from those shows."
I'd print more of the letter, but most of it isn't fit for a family newspaper (or Web site, as the case may be).
Stanhope is scheduled to appear on the Howard Stern Show tomorrow to announce his withdrawal from the race.
Stanhope, whose MySpace page says he was running on a platform of, "Revolution, prison reform, conspiracy theories and beating incredible odds," promises to back the eventual Libertarian Party nominee.
And while he's exiting the campaign trail, he does at least offer some condolences to his fans and supporters:
"For those of you with Stanhope in 08 t-shirts, I promise I will try to die in some horrible fashion that makes them valuable some day."
-- Eric Pfeifffer, Capitol Hill correspondent, The Washington Times
Comments (2)
I wish the author would do some more reasearch on his subject.
He was not running on a platform of "Revolution, prison reform, conspiracy theories and beating incredible odds." That quote is from his personal myspace page, not his presidential site.
He was running on
"We should immediately withdraw all troops from Iraq.
We should immediately end the War on Drugs.
All non-violent drug offenders should be pardoned.
We need to immediately get rid of the Patriot Act.
We need to reduce and simplify the tax code."
The author makes it sound like the letter he sent was full of obscenities. I counted three. Much of the letter was dedicated to complaints about the election laws.
I wish the author had put a little more effort into writing this blurb. Maybe mention the hypocrisy of the election laws and how they're designed to keep the 2 party monopoly in power. That would be too much to ask from a journalist.
Posted by Bryce | May 5, 2007 1:18 PM
If the author really wants to run for the presidency maybe he should do his comedy act and afterwards tell everybody he is talking politics in another room. That way only those people who want to hear him will go.
Posted by Tom | May 18, 2007 9:18 AM