wackier and wacker

August 1, 2003 12:22 PM

Larry Flynt will run in the California recall election And he's serious too. Could he get the plurality needed to win? Oh and Arnold has anounced... that he'll anounce his decision on the 6th
posted by delmoi (41 comments total)

Go Larry Go!!!
posted by jonmc at 12:25 PM on August 1, 2003

Just when you thought this thing couldn't be more embarrassing for California...
posted by jpoulos at 12:32 PM on August 1, 2003

... Jenna Jameson as California Attorney General
posted by matteo at 12:35 PM on August 1, 2003

Hehe. Heh. That'll learn those republicans.
posted by callmejay at 12:35 PM on August 1, 2003

No, matteo, Jenna Jameson would be Secretary Of The ...[ahem] Interior
posted by jonmc at 12:44 PM on August 1, 2003

Is there a Secretary of the Posterior?
posted by Ufez Jones at 12:45 PM on August 1, 2003

Arnold is saying he isn't going to run according to this story.
posted by wsg at 12:58 PM on August 1, 2003

Haha. California. What country is that in again?
posted by HTuttle at 1:00 PM on August 1, 2003

I love the fact that a couple of shmos also named Gray Davis have paid the fee to be on the ballot. This will make the butterfly ballot look like child's play.
posted by machaus at 1:00 PM on August 1, 2003

Camejo or Flynt? i may have to flip a coin, though i'd lean toward Flynt cuz i think he's more electable. that's a laugh.
posted by mrgrimm at 1:01 PM on August 1, 2003

Haha. California. What country is that in again?

That one that gives a whole heap of electoral votes to it due to California's massive population.
posted by jragon at 1:02 PM on August 1, 2003

I'm so proud to live here. Really.

jragon: ...that we deserve because of our massive population, by the way.

I wish Richard Riorden and Dianne Feinstein would run and give people some real choices. What a mess.
posted by aacheson at 1:04 PM on August 1, 2003

I don't think "Larry Flynt, Governor of California" sounds all that much wierder than "Jesse Ventura, Governor of Michigan".

My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of self-parody, of thee I sing...
posted by eyebeam at 1:08 PM on August 1, 2003

Oops, I mean "Jesse Ventura, Governor of Minnesota". Damn.
posted by eyebeam at 1:10 PM on August 1, 2003

What is the big deal? I'd rather see someone like that in there than some greedy, corrupt politician who whores himself for votes and sells his soul to special interest.

I have no doubt Flynt would be a better politican than 90% of what is out there.
posted by eas98 at 1:17 PM on August 1, 2003

Hey, Italy has (or had) a female pornstar in its parliament.
posted by pjgulliver at 1:18 PM on August 1, 2003

Feinstein is an idiot. and *Riordan* is a bigger idiot. so there. ;)

i expect to see them both in the race, however, further proving what idiots they are.

i can only hope that this free-for-all puts the Green Party (or the Smut Peddler party) into its first major office.
posted by mrgrimm at 1:20 PM on August 1, 2003

Sorry about the parade raining, but...

Uh, Larry Flynt is a misogynistic toad.
posted by goneill at 1:28 PM on August 1, 2003

Uh, Larry Flynt is a misogynistic toad.

He's a pig, but not a misogynist. Plus the cartoons in Hustler are sometimes hilarious. And he took on Jerry Fallwell and won.
posted by jonmc at 1:31 PM on August 1, 2003

I'm looking forward to the Arianna vs Michael Huffington race.
posted by briank at 1:32 PM on August 1, 2003

is too.
posted by goneill at 1:35 PM on August 1, 2003

is not.
posted by majcher at 1:46 PM on August 1, 2003

is not.

Allow me to make my case for ol' Larry. Putting aside the whole "all porn is misogynistic" argument, he has a few factors which raise him above say Hefner or Bob Guccione.

Yes, he shows women in degrading shots, but he shows men in degrading shots too, for those who are into that sort of thing. Plus his "Asshole Of The Month," choices are usually pretty accurate.

In a way, porn is the ultimate democracy. If someone will pay to look at, the pornmeisters will make it: Gay, Straight, Vanilla, kinky whatever. So it's not like it's some massive conspiracy to degrade womanhood, it's all about the $$.

Plus politically, he seems to veer to the left mostly, so he's gotta be better than Ah-nold, right?
posted by jonmc at 1:48 PM on August 1, 2003

Everybody in Florida gives a great sigh of relief, "It's not us this time."
posted by caddis at 2:10 PM on August 1, 2003

I love the fact that a couple of shmos also named Gray Davis have paid the fee to be on the ballot. This will make the butterfly ballot look like child's play.

Somewhat common election fraud ploy. The idea is to split the vote away from Davis in order to assure he loses. I can't find the links right now but this has been used, mostly by republicans (though they have no monopoly on electoral assholerly,) to defeat opposing canidates.
posted by elwoodwiles at 2:17 PM on August 1, 2003

Porn != misogynistic.

Next?
posted by mr_crash_davis at 2:23 PM on August 1, 2003

I love the fact that a couple of shmos also named Gray Davis have paid the fee to be on the ballot. This will make the butterfly ballot look like child's play.

Somewhat common election fraud ploy. The idea is to split the vote away from Davis in order to assure he loses. I can't find the links right now but this has been used, mostly by republicans (though they have no monopoly on electoral assholerly,) to defeat opposing canidates.

Something sort of like that was done in a recent congressional election in MN. Some guy registered as a candidate under the "No New Taxes" party to try to siphon votes off from the Republican. As tactics go, it failed pretty spectacularly.
posted by COBRA! at 2:30 PM on August 1, 2003

Hustler != garden-variety porn. We're talking about women being raped on pool tables and put through meat grinders. You don't have to be a "pictures of naked chicks bad" feminist to have a problem with that.

But hey, the Nazis who marched in Skokie won a substantial victory for the First Amendment too. Illinois governor?
posted by transona5 at 2:40 PM on August 1, 2003

Somewhat common election fraud ploy.

It is my understanding that the ballot will be a two part process. The first will ask if you support the recall. If you vote no, you are voting support for Davis. If you vote yes, you will proceed to the second step, choosing a candidate. I may be wrong, but I believe that the REAL Davis will not be among the choices.
posted by machaus at 3:02 PM on August 1, 2003

It is my understanding that the ballot will be a two part process. The first will ask if you support the recall. If you vote no, you are voting support for Davis. If you vote yes, you will proceed to the second step, choosing a candidate. I may be wrong, but I believe that the REAL Davis will not be among the choices

As I understand it, the real Gray Davis will not be on the second part of the ballot. Also, anyone who votes "no" to recalling Davis can still vote for another candidate they want to support if he is recalled, and, in a decision handed down a couple days ago, you do not even have to vote to recall Davis to vote for another candidate.
posted by nath at 3:11 PM on August 1, 2003

Supposedly Angelyne is going to run, but she hasn't updated her website. If she wants to be a serious candidate, she needs to get with it. We need some "Angelyne for Governor" billboards, especially in Daryl Isa's district.
posted by homunculus at 3:33 PM on August 1, 2003

Interesting, considering Penthouse is supposedly in dire financial straits at the moment . . .

I mean, if you can't keep a multi-million dollar porn company afloat in a multi billion dollar industry . . .
Well, you've got problems . . .

Maybe he just pulled all the $ out of the PH bank to fund his campaign.

Plus, has anyone heard the dude talk?
Might need a speech-giver in addition to a speech-writer.

Or real life subtitles.
posted by cinderful at 3:51 PM on August 1, 2003

cinderful, Larry Flint runs Hustler, not Penthouse. Just clarifying ...
posted by Wulfgar! at 4:12 PM on August 1, 2003

yeah, Penthouse is in deep trouble. Hustler is still doing OK. both will eventually get screwed by the Net.
posted by mrgrimm at 5:06 PM on August 1, 2003

Hustler != garden-variety porn. We're talking about women being raped on pool tables and put through meat grinders. You don't have to be a "pictures of naked chicks bad" feminist to have a problem with that.

Actually, the meat-grinder cover happened while Paul Krassner was editing the magazine.

I can't find a link to confirm it, but Krassner admits it in "Re:Search Pranks".

Not to defend it or anything.
posted by interrobang at 5:25 PM on August 1, 2003

The California elections are going to be the best thing ever.
posted by ph00dz at 5:37 PM on August 1, 2003

...but I believe that the REAL Davis will not be among the choices

Would the real Gray Davis please stand up, please stand up, please stand up. Yeah, I'm the real Gray Davis, the only Gray Davis. Would the real Gray Davis please stand up...

Seriously, being from Cincinnati, which is Larry Flynt central, I have to say Go Larry. People in Hustler are not being forced to be in Hustler, it is a voluntary act. And maybe Larry has some good ideas, like additional slots and gambling to shore up state revenues from some addicted gamblers. (Is William Bennet coming to California any time soon?)
posted by benjh at 6:23 PM on August 1, 2003

I heard on NPR yesterday that Gray Davis will definitely not be on the ballot. The first question is something like:

"Should Gray Davis be recalled?"
_yes _no

The second question is:

"If you said "yes" to the first question, who should replace him?"

Which is followed by a list of other candidates. The "Gray Davis" in question is not mentioned on the ballot after the first question. The whole ballot is intended to ask whether or not Davis should be taken out of office, and if so, who should be his successor.
posted by interrobang at 6:30 PM on August 1, 2003

"I wish Richard Riorden and Dianne Feinstein would run and give people some real choices. What a mess."

Feinstein?! Are you crazy? There's not a day that passes where I wish she didn't take the bullet for Harvey Milk, instead of opportunistically milking the tragedy into a career. She's thouroughly owned by the RIAA and by Hollywood, and her behavior was probably the basis for the character of the mayor in South Park.

Oh... and Richard Riordan is a Dick, both literally and figuratively. Really, can't you suggest someone better? Mineta? Boxer? Anyone other than these two?!

Larry Flynt is sounding better and better all the time...
posted by insomnia_lj at 8:26 PM on August 1, 2003

California = NSFW
posted by pejamo at 9:17 PM on August 1, 2003

Nobody seems to remember that the meat grinder pic was accompanied by text along the lines of "Hustler promises to stop treating women like pieces of meat!" It wasn't the centerfold, it was a joke; one in poor taste even by Flynt's standards, but still a joke. It isn't in any way characteristic of Hustler's usual fare.
posted by ramakrishna at 10:51 PM on August 2, 2003