Who says there are no good candidates?This stunningly obvious but still brilliant idea just in from Flatlander: "I think we start a movement to draft the Dean of MN bloggers, James Lileks. I know he'll say he doesn't want the job, family, work, blah, blah. But, he's the guy I think is right for the job of representing Minnesota right now." -- FLATLANDER
Now before you laugh and before you scoff and before you run out of the room with your teeth on fire screaming, "I GOT THE FEAR!," just sit back and reflect on the dead-center obvious nature of this very smart idea.
And the timing is right. Plus we've already got the bumper sticker and the lawn sign. Now all we need is to get cracking and whip up some tee shirts.
He'll scream, he'll squirm, he'll twist slowly in the wind, but if there's going to be a draft in the country, I'll take a "Draft Lileks" draft over the other kind.
Lileks will, sadly, have to divest himself of his Tiki-Torches and it could be that his positions on many issues are a bit too explicit for the tastes of many... but, but.... well, it is just too juicy a shot to pass up. Electing a Senator out of the blogsphere would be the ultimate announcement that this medium has arrived, wouldn't it.
And if, perchance, Lileks bleats, "It is to dream the impossible dream," we'll just sit him down in front of Lawrence of Arabia for the line: "We are here. Akaba is there. It is only a matter of going."
Posted by Vanderleun at October 6, 2004 7:04 PM
I can't wait for him to find out about this...
Posted by: FH at October 6, 2004 8:06 PMThe Great Lileksini ("Sees all, knows all, but would rather not")?
I'm sure there are crowds gathered with torches right outside of Jasperwood at this moment. Half of them want to hold a bake sale, the other half an auto-de-fe.
My money's on the bake sale.
Posted by: Van der Leun at October 6, 2004 8:42 PMBLEAT-ERS
UNITE-ED
CAN NEVER BE
DE-FEAT-ED!
BLEAT-ERS
UNITE-ED
CAN NEVER BE
DE-FEAT-ED!
BLEAT-ERS
UNITE-ED
CAN NEVER BE
DE-FEAT-ED!
How many Bleats must a man post on site
Before you call it a blog?
Yes, 'n' how many screeds must a white guy rant
Before before another one seems like a slog?
Yes, 'n' how many times must the ranting emails arrive
Before they're forever banned?
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in your mind,
The answer is ....
Ah, fergeddedabouit
Only if I can work from home.
Posted by: Lileks at October 6, 2004 9:59 PMHell, I'm not even from there, but I'd sign off on that!
I might even start watching CSPAN again.
Posted by: Mumblix Grumph at October 6, 2004 10:07 PMOf course you can work from home, James. We have two Senators currently running for national office who haven't shown up at the Senate for months and months.
Posted by: Van der Leun at October 6, 2004 10:17 PMP.S.
If running for Senator in MN is not your cup of tea, please consider running out here in Seattle.
Our Senator, Patty Murray needs to be replaced.
The Republican challenger is taking all kinds of heat because he dared to run a campaign ad showing Patty going on about what a great guy Bin Laden is. All the ad does is how her making a speech saying that OBL built schools, roads DAY CARE CENTERS for working moms in Afghanistan and made life better for them. Poor Patty, God bless her dopey little heart, always seems to win the coveted last place spot on the ranking of Congressional brain power.
The only reason she got the job is because at a debate, the Republican candidate all of a sudden started singing "Well dang, dang me, get a rope and hang me from the highest tree...woman would you weep for me?" in the middle of the debate. It was the creepiest WTF moment I have ever seen. I blame some kind of Manchurian Candidate/Microsoft mind control beam.
Anyway, please consider it.
Posted by: Mumblix Grumph at October 6, 2004 10:24 PMHe has my illegal, out-of-state vote, if he wants it. Who says Democrats should have all the fun?
Posted by: ccwbass at October 6, 2004 11:13 PMI'm so down with this idea, not the least of which is because after we get James loaded up with political cred, we can then aim Natalie at the White House like a silver bullet. Picture it: her mother's legal talents, her father's ethics and brilliant wit -- LILEKS 2040!
Does Cheney have a granddaughter?
Posted by: Leslie at October 7, 2004 1:13 AMHmm, Lileks 2040, he'll be what, 75? Ted Kennedy's age.
I say he keeps the tiki torches. They make great campaign props, as does Gnat.
What about a Senator from Tennessee? And California?
I think the important question we need to ask ourselves is this: Does he approve of the font used on the bumper sticker?
Posted by: Ken J at October 7, 2004 8:10 AMThat would be all the motivation I'd need to move to Minnesota. MN could probably use another conservative more than than GA. Go Twinkies!
Posted by: phil gilbert at October 7, 2004 8:34 AMCandidate from the Pajama Party (ok, trite - very trite, But somebody had to say it...)
Posted by: P. A. Breault at October 7, 2004 9:16 AMI see the Sage of Laguna Beach is doing his job, bumping the country forward a post a time: great idea. I'd even consider moving to MN to work on the campaign. I can see it now, Japserwood, aglow with torches at night, a tent city of volunteers from all over the nation...
(Hey Mumblix, fellow Seattleite: Murray is simple on her way to being dangerous)
Posted by: Doug Anderson at October 7, 2004 1:53 PMBloggers of the World Unite!
Posted by: elgato at October 7, 2004 2:12 PMSo it looks like all that has to happen is for enough of these Lileks 06 bumper stickers to be printed and distributed. The average Minnesota voter will stumble into the booth that cold November day a couple of years from now, and think "I Like Lileks" and it's a done deal there then.
Posted by: Stephen at October 7, 2004 6:14 PMYou should have thought of this idea three months ago when Illinois had an open slot on the Republican ballot. Hell, you know what, I'm going to write him in anyway.
Lileks in '04!
Posted by: LRFD at October 7, 2004 7:19 PMWhere can I order a T-shirt?
Posted by: corrie at October 8, 2004 7:24 AMThe world is so ready for this. I can't think of anyone I'd rather vote for, assuming Gerard isn't willing to run for something. Is he?
Posted by: Uncle Mikey at October 8, 2004 8:01 AMOK! whos on board! I need a volunteer staff pronto!
We'll get James to come along later, we don't need him yet. We can wait for the giant snowball to hit him as he leaves Jasperwood on a Target run.
Campaign manager? Webmaster? Treasurer?
http://www.lileksforsenate.com
Contact me at: lileksforsenate@yahoo.com
we'll do something... I like the bakesale thingie.
BTW: I've got the original vector art for t-shirts, bumperstickers, etc if anyone knows anyone who is into that kind of thing.
He's going to kill me if he ever comes back to Fargo, isn't he?
Posted by: Flatlander at October 12, 2004 9:41 PM
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