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The dark horse of the campaign
October 18, 2010 8:05 PM Subscribe

"If you want to marry a show, I'll marry you." Jimmy McMillan, of the Rent Is Too Damn High Party, steals the show at an NY gubernatorial debate.
posted by Rory Marinich (81 comments total) 17 users marked this as a favorite

And an interview with NY1.
posted by Rory Marinich at 8:08 PM on October 18, 2010

I have voted for this man before. I don't regret that.
posted by Navelgazer at 8:09 PM on October 18, 2010 [8 favorites]

I believe the gentleman said "shoe", but I may have been mistaken as I was completely mesmerized by his facial hair.

Also I think he's channeling Flip Wilson.
posted by mr_crash_davis mark II: Jazz Odyssey at 8:09 PM on October 18, 2010 [1 favorite]

i didn't get very far watching the videos. i lost it at "As a karate expert..."
posted by mexican at 8:10 PM on October 18, 2010 [7 favorites]

It actually does sound more like "shoe". "Shoe" is funnier, too. My bad.
posted by Rory Marinich at 8:11 PM on October 18, 2010

Every candidate should be forced to take a stand on whether the damn rent is too damn high.
posted by pressF1 at 8:13 PM on October 18, 2010 [3 favorites]

I think you forgot the batshitinsane tag...
posted by i less than three nsima at 8:13 PM on October 18, 2010

Oh, man, Andrew Cuomo is permanently wearing "how the hell am I supposed to follow that?" look.
posted by griphus at 8:14 PM on October 18, 2010 [4 favorites]

I think you forgot the batshitinsane tag...

Yeah, every election needs an Al Sharpton or an Alan Keyes.

It's just strange that this time around it's a gay-bashing Zionist-courting white guy.
posted by nasreddin at 8:21 PM on October 18, 2010 [9 favorites]

Officially putting the music from his website on my next radio show.
posted by azarbayejani at 8:22 PM on October 18, 2010

(Or, actually, anti-Zionist. He's a dick is what I'm saying.)
posted by nasreddin at 8:23 PM on October 18, 2010

Why the gloves?

If I was voting in NY this year, god, I don't know who I'd choose. Not that the choices are much better in CT.
posted by These Premises Are Alarmed at 8:27 PM on October 18, 2010

Only one way to follow that guy: "Thank you and I cede the remainder of my time to the gentleman from the Rent is Too Damn High party."
posted by klarck at 8:28 PM on October 18, 2010 [12 favorites]

I'm going to start using "As a karate expert..." at the beginning of sentences all the time now.
posted by azarbayejani at 8:30 PM on October 18, 2010 [6 favorites]

A star is born!

I love love love his campaign song. I've listened to it 57 times now.
posted by CunningLinguist at 8:31 PM on October 18, 2010

It's... beautiful. Apparently he used to be a prancing skeleton.
posted by JHarris at 8:38 PM on October 18, 2010

Now that my snark is out of the way... I can say this much about him, he certainly doesn't seem to be phony.
posted by JHarris at 8:44 PM on October 18, 2010 [1 favorite]

it's better to watch the debate vids while the looping track on his website is playing
posted by kuatto at 8:54 PM on October 18, 2010

Oh, man, Andrew Cuomo is permanently wearing "how the hell am I supposed to follow that?" look.

"I concurr with my distinguished opponent, rent is too damn high. Moving on..."
posted by furiousxgeorge at 8:58 PM on October 18, 2010

The gloves
posted by lukemeister at 9:00 PM on October 18, 2010 [1 favorite]

(facepalm) A friend of mine is a serious Green Party supporter (he's even a national delegate for the party).

He was ALREADY complaining about how little attention Howie Hawkins was getting BEFORE this debate started. I can only imagine how much he's going to be complaining now.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:08 PM on October 18, 2010

I think you forgot the batshitinsane tag...

What. The man is right. The rent is too damn high.
posted by Devils Rancher at 9:08 PM on October 18, 2010 [29 favorites]

I think you forgot the batshitinsane tag...

What. The man is right. The rent is too damn high.

these are not mutually exclusive ideas
posted by victors at 9:48 PM on October 18, 2010 [4 favorites]

Didn't we just have the "What if the Tea Party was black?" thread a week ago? Well, there's you're answer- still crazy, except actually having one good point, and that the figurehead would be someone's crazy uncle, which everyone can relate to having, but no one would say, "Yeah, he represents ME!".
posted by yeloson at 9:51 PM on October 18, 2010

Man. I was starting to feel pretty proud of my beard, but this guy's facial hair is remarkable. This man must be my mentor.
posted by brundlefly at 10:00 PM on October 18, 2010

Batshit insane? THE GUY IS A KARATE EXPERT.
posted by Astro Zombie at 10:02 PM on October 18, 2010 [8 favorites]

So, uh, how does he propose to lower rent in NY?
posted by 1000monkeys at 10:12 PM on October 18, 2010

Damn him and his animated GIF/force music website, it crashed my browser!
posted by 1000monkeys at 10:14 PM on October 18, 2010 [1 favorite]

You're forgetting ...still crazy ...but with mesmerizing facial hair.

These make all the difference.
posted by The Whelk at 10:15 PM on October 18, 2010 [1 favorite]

Does this mean the rent needs to stop smoking so much weed?
posted by ryoshu at 10:19 PM on October 18, 2010 [3 favorites]

I can't say I approve of people marrying shoes*, but that facial hair has my vote.

*And don't get me started on flip-flops, who are just lying to themselves anyway.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 10:54 PM on October 18, 2010 [1 favorite]

I love love love his campaign song. I've listened to it 57 times now.

I opened his campaign site in a tab over an hour ago and haven't closed the tab yet.
posted by dersins at 10:58 PM on October 18, 2010 [1 favorite]

Also, I love that he looks like black Hulk Hogan.
posted by dersins at 11:04 PM on October 18, 2010

As a crazy politician, I give him a solid 6 on the Palin Scale*. Not quite reaching a 10 because of point losses in the following areas. Not enough crazy religious beliefs. Having a valid point as his core political belief, failure to incessantly lob pointless jabs at the opposition, from New York and therefore possibly an elitist.

I can't wait for CNN to give this guy a show. If anyone can fill Ricj Sanchez's giant crazy shoes, it's this guy.
posted by billyfleetwood at 11:59 PM on October 18, 2010

I was going to go to bed, but the website music has inexplicably energized me to want to remix it. Must resist.
posted by davejay at 12:22 AM on October 19, 2010 [1 favorite]

Wow that actually is the best campaign song I've heard. Of course thats an incredibly low bar...
posted by wildcrdj at 12:34 AM on October 19, 2010

Yeah he's so cool! Karate! Moustaches! Lasers and dinosaurs! Nostalgic irony will save us all!
posted by setanor at 12:34 AM on October 19, 2010 [1 favorite]

At least it distracts from the real problems reasonably well..
posted by setanor at 12:35 AM on October 19, 2010

As a crazy politician, I give him a solid 6 on the Palin Scale*.

Where does Sarah rank on this scale?
posted by unmake at 12:58 AM on October 19, 2010

I read the NYT article and clicked this expecting something even more insane. they used the word farce.
posted by krautland at 1:11 AM on October 19, 2010

If none of the above can actually win, who's to say this can't go viral in a big way and get out the vote of people who say to themselves, "shit, the rent IS too damn high", and throw their vote his way?

If this guy (and his party name) is printed on the ballot, the other candidates are in serious trouble.
posted by disillusioned at 1:13 AM on October 19, 2010 [1 favorite]

Why oh why can't I be living in NY so that I may vote for this man? Life is cruel sometimes.
posted by snwod at 2:00 AM on October 19, 2010

It's... beautiful. Apparently he used to be a prancing skeleton.

HUH? What does that link have to do with this guy? Did you paste the wrong thing?
posted by delmoi at 2:53 AM on October 19, 2010

So, uh, how does he propose to lower rent in NY?

Remove height restrictions and allow more apartment construction? Seems like it would be fairly straightforward. It's a supply/demand thing: Supply is kept artificially low by governmental restrictions.
posted by delmoi at 2:56 AM on October 19, 2010 [3 favorites]

His song sounds like Gil Scott Heron on ecstasy and shrooms at the same time.

I love New York.
posted by fourcheesemac at 4:22 AM on October 19, 2010

If the election went for facial hair this man would be running for supreme overlord.
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 4:27 AM on October 19, 2010

This guy is on to something.

Democrats: This recession is bad, and we need to fix it through economic intervention over several years!

Republicans: Where are the jobs? We have a plan for jobs that won't cost a cent! [A simpler, and more appealing suggestion to the voters, which tangibly promises something]

This guy: Rent is too damn high! [Even simpler, and carries the implicit real promise of "I'll lower rent!")

I intend to be governor of NY, so let me add my late platform.

Me: Less money for THEM, more for YOU.

As for who THEM is, I will leave it undefined. Voters will use their imagination. Democrats will think it's the CEOs and fat cats on Wall Street. Republicans will think it's welfare queens and George Soros. And everyone will be glad to have some extra cash in these trying times.

As for what I'd do were I actually elected: Mainly do something about the congestion on NJ US Highway 206. Yes, it's in another state, but I imagine that if I sent over the NY national guard with a construction team to eliminate a few key bottle necks, and then make it a turnpike (Just a token fee to keep high schoolers from clogging the roads in the morning when they could be taking the bus), Chris Christie would let me do it. For one, it's a turnpike, so it's libertarian and good for the Taxed Enough Already voters who elected him. For another, Chris Christie's been looking pretty awful on transit, and we could use something really awesome.

Oooh, and while I'm running up a deficit, I'll also build light rail parallel to 206 so that I can visit my friends at The College of New Jersey more easily from North Central Jersey, which is also a good place to drive from for checking out Philadelphia (an issue other NY govs won't touch). Right now, it takes me 45 minutes to just go 18 miles southwest. There are bullet trains that go like 360 miles per hour. I could get there in 3 minutes. Driving that long's just not American.

SEE, Green party!? This is how you pitch turning an American state into Europe!
posted by mccarty.tim at 4:52 AM on October 19, 2010 [5 favorites]

As a crazy politician, I give him a solid 6 on the Palin Scale*.

Where does Sarah rank on this scale?

She's at least an avocado, or even a '78 El Camino on her good days.
posted by Slap*Happy at 5:08 AM on October 19, 2010 [5 favorites]

That website makes the blink tag blush.

Damn the song is catchy.

He could have a real impact; this level of publicity and a message which may well resonate with voters might bring the issue to the forefront.
posted by Bovine Love at 5:38 AM on October 19, 2010

gawd, rent is too damn high in NYC but i cant deal with that afromullet
posted by liza at 5:46 AM on October 19, 2010 [2 favorites]

As a crazy politician, I give him a solid 6 on the Palin Scale*.

Where does Sarah rank on this scale?

The Sarah Palin Crazy scale contains scores ranking from zero to ten.

0 - Barack Obama: So sane that it's actually kind of infuriating.

10 - Sarah Palin: The standard By Which all other crazy are judged

With the exception being Michelle Bachmann, who's crazy dial goes up to 11.
posted by billyfleetwood at 6:07 AM on October 19, 2010 [3 favorites]

HOLY SHIT, there's a Bond villian in the gubernatorial debate.

Bond: Do you expect me to talk?
McMillan: No, Mr. Bond. The Rent Is Too Damn High!
posted by The Bellman at 6:59 AM on October 19, 2010 [12 favorites]

Previously, the rent was also 2 damn high.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 7:08 AM on October 19, 2010

I was flipping around and paused on C-Span to see if Paladino was going to say anything crazy and then HOLY SHIT, there's a Bond villian in the gubernatorial debate. It's always interesting when the debates include all the candidates, rather than just the 2 or 3 frontrunners.

Yeah, yesterday morning I heard NPR announce that they'd be covering the debate. They listed everyone who'd show up and their party affiliation. They saved this guy till the end of the list, like they were savoring their one chance to say “damn” on NPR.
posted by thsmchnekllsfascists at 7:12 AM on October 19, 2010 [1 favorite]

The official website has been suspended, by those forces that wish to keep the rent too damn high.
posted by Drastic at 7:18 AM on October 19, 2010

Damn, website is "suspended", whatever that means.
posted by sundrop at 7:39 AM on October 19, 2010

Apparently whitey is on the moon too.
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 7:39 AM on October 19, 2010

Here's the YouTube highlight reel. Also, now he's selling t shirts. But they are boring. Shame.
posted by CunningLinguist at 7:57 AM on October 19, 2010

If he thinks rent is high, wait till he sees his hosting bill.
posted by chairface at 10:29 AM on October 19, 2010 [2 favorites]

"So, uh, how does he propose to lower rent in NY?"

Please say it's "Kill whitey," please say it's "Kill whitey," please say it's "Kill whitey," please say it's "Kill whitey," please say it's "Kill whitey..."
posted by Eideteker at 10:42 AM on October 19, 2010 [3 favorites]

Seriously, though. Imagine a New York State without white people. Blacks and Latinos would be able to leave the ghetto and the barrio, respectively, and move to fill out Upstate. As people of color (and flava) fill the farms, till the soil, and work the land, hip-hop will take on a more agrarian aesthetic. I mean, just think about what size rims you could throw on a mafuckin tractor. Cows up, hos down, as the pimps move towards animal husbandry (and Ludacris remakes his classic to instead refer to the various area codes where he has cows). We're talking all the way live-stock. Money wouldn't even have to trade in them Tims; they're perfect for workin on a farm.

And with all that room to breathe, the petty conflicts that can ruin a young negro's life will, for the most part, evaporate. The pressure cooker of urban overcrowding will dissipate harmlessly. And as the subway system expands beyond the five boroughs, we will finally have a start at reasonable and exhaustive mass transit and practical national rail.

A brother can dream.
posted by Eideteker at 10:55 AM on October 19, 2010 [5 favorites]

It's always interesting when the debates include all the candidates, rather than just the 2 or 3 frontrunners.

I agree and I wish there was more of it on the national scene. However, I'd bet most observers feel the opposite. There wasn't a whole lot of "debate" - the more participants, the more hard-core they will stick to their talking points.
posted by mrgrimm at 10:55 AM on October 19, 2010

I wish more "debates" featured the candidates asking each other questions. I think that would go a ways towards dealing with talking points.
posted by Eideteker at 11:19 AM on October 19, 2010 [1 favorite]

cache of the Rent Is Too Damn High Party website, as it still appears to be down.
posted by xbonesgt at 11:32 AM on October 19, 2010

I agree and I wish there was more of it on the national scene. However, I'd bet most observers feel the opposite.

Whatever the merits of having a debate with 2 or more candidates, I don't like that now everyone is making fun of the mildly deranged person. However gently.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 11:36 AM on October 19, 2010

Vietnam, 1966-1968. THREE Bronze Stars. Damn.
posted by Xoebe at 12:53 PM on October 19, 2010 [2 favorites]

HEY STU. YOUR RENT'S DUE MOTHERFUCKA. AND DON'T BE PULLIN' THAT FALLIN' DOWN THE STAIRS SHIT ON ME, YA HEAR?
posted by phaedon at 12:59 PM on October 19, 2010

what's this about?
posted by as a Karate Expert.. at 1:43 PM on October 19, 2010 [1 favorite]

hip-hop will take on a more agrarian aesthetic.

The Nappy Roots coulda told you the whole damn world was country.
posted by yeloson at 1:56 PM on October 19, 2010 [2 favorites]

You know, you could always take Central Park and use half of it to build giant high-rises of low and mixed income housing. Really, you could. It's a nice park and all, but it's not as nice as having a wide mix of people being able to live below 170th street.
posted by Bookhouse at 2:05 PM on October 19, 2010

As a Minnesotan, I just want to advise New Yorkers to carefully consider our example when deciding whether to vote for the amusing candidate.
posted by nickmark at 2:09 PM on October 19, 2010 [1 favorite]

It's a nice park and all, but it's not as nice as having a wide mix of people being able to live below 170th street.

Yes. Yes it is.
posted by CunningLinguist at 2:35 PM on October 19, 2010

As a Minnesotan, I just want to advise New Yorkers to carefully consider our example when deciding whether to vote for the amusing candidate.

To be completely fair, Al Franken is one of the only sane voices currently in the Senate.
posted by schmod at 2:47 PM on October 19, 2010 [5 favorites]

May the god I don't believe in cast my soul to the most molten of hells for eternity for saying this, but (in this instance) let the free market work.

Rent control creates more problems than they solve.
Even Krugman says so.

Though I do enjoy Mr. McMillan's veiled neo-Bolshevist threats against landlords on his site, the answer is to dump rent controls and make landlords compete against one another.
posted by banal evil at 4:48 PM on October 19, 2010 [1 favorite]

Isn't this essentially the plot of Crime and Punishment, minus the murder?
posted by mccarty.tim at 10:06 AM on October 20, 2010

His rent isn't that damn high!

The NY Post tracks down his landlord. Finds out McMillan pays $800 a month for a one bedroom in Flatbush.

(The average rent for a Brooklyn one bedroom is twice that.)

He seems to be having a ball:

"I got a flood of campaign contributions. PayPal, PayPal, PayPal," McMillan told The Post yesterday.
"People want me to help set up the Rent Is Too Damn High Party in other states. The way people are talking right now, I'm going to be the next governor," he said.
"The love that the people have shown me is overwhelming. I'm the hottest ticket in town! This is what I always wanted."
posted by CunningLinguist at 11:08 AM on October 20, 2010

His rent isn't that damn high!

The NY Post tracks down his landlord. Finds out McMillan pays $800 a month for a one bedroom in Flatbush.

It says a lot, though, that instead of just getting his, he's out to make sure EVERYONE can enjoy lowered rent.
posted by yeloson at 2:55 PM on October 20, 2010

It might not even be $800...

Afterward, Sarah Maslin Nir of The Times tracked him down in Brooklyn and discovered that McMillan’s own personal rent is, he said, zero. His landlords, he added, are “like family. They don’t want me to pay any money at all. I am basically living rent free.”

posted by aneel at 5:24 PM on October 21, 2010

The Rent Is Too Damn High on SNL
posted by CunningLinguist at 12:42 PM on October 24, 2010

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The dark horse of the campaign October 18, 2010 8:05 PM Subscribe

The dark horse of the campaign
October 18, 2010 8:05 PM Subscribe