“ Mr. Paulsen , what is your thought of the late Supreme Court decisiveness regarding the liberalization of obscenity ? ”
Patrick “ Pat ” Paulsen begins to reply the question , but something is awry . The close - up of Paulsen ’s face bear witness that his left over eye and correct eye blink at different times , and he speaks out of both side of his sassing , literally . As the audience roars with laughter , other questions—“How do you stand on the question of social welfare ? ” and “ What is your opinion of the current trouble of Vietnam ? ” – are need , but Paulsen ca n’t seem to give a straight solvent . A stock split - screen divides his boldness right down the middle , so that one side of his face responds to the question one style and the other side replies with the diametric platform ’s opinion .
This sketch aired onThe Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour , a democratic tv set show on CBS , in 1968 . Taking on the two - faced , volatile nature of politicians , the sketch showcased Paulsen ’s satirical take on modern-day societal and political consequence .
Before becoming a comedic performer , Paulsen help in the Marines at the tail end end of WWII , process a series of odd job , enrolled at City College of San Francisco , and participated in theatre troupes . In the mid-’60s , comedian / guitarist Paulsen was performing his act at a club when hemet Tom and Dick Smothers , the musical comedy dyad known as The Smothers Brothers . They like Paulsen ’s act so much that they hired him to write comic folk songs forThe Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour .
work on for the Smothers Brothers was Paulsen ’s large suspension . In 1967 , he look regularly on their television receiver show , using his trademark deadpan legal transfer mode to perform editorials pointing out the absurdity of “ the establishment . ” Because the show was enormously pop , Paulsen got other gigs and even more exposure : he appear as the Secretary of the Department of UFO Information on a1967 episodeofThe Monkees , and he won an Emmy in 1968 for his work onThe Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour .
In 1968 — the year of a hard interior election , pregnant with protests , scream , and the assassination of both civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. and candidate Robert F. Kennedy — the Smothers Brothers suggested to Paulsen that he go for Chief Executive as a mock campaigner , using their TV show as his political campaign program . Paulsen agreed and announced his decision to run on the show , maintaining his deadpan , sober musical note . He proclaimed that his political company was S.T.A.G.—the Straight Talking American Government party . Although his campaign was satirical , he did comment on existent political issues and pointed out politicians ’ hypocrisy , high-handedness , and incompetency . Commenting on the draft , for instance , he note , “ A expert many people find that our present conscription laws are unjust . These people are called soldiers . ”
Paulsen ’s indifference to the campaigning process—“Is America ready for such dynamic and critical leading ? Will I figure out our civil right problem ? Will I unite this country and bring it ahead ? Will I hide the national debt ? Sure , why not”—delighted his fans . He locomote around the U.S. , givingsarcastic speechesat political rallies and convention . In each localization , he tell his listeners that their city was the honorable city and that he planned to move there after the election . The gang take in him were in on the joke , express joy and urge at Paulsen ’s slogans and one - liners like “ We can be critical , plausibly ” and “ If elected , I will gain . ”
both photosMichael McCullough via Flickr//CC BY 2.0
At his campaign rallies , he went through the usual politician motions of kissing babe and shaking hands with his supporters . The fans at his rallies bear hand-crafted “ Paulsen for President ” posters and intonate “ We want Paulsen , we desire Paulsen ” before he speak . His jokes spanned from lightheaded ( “ We have nothing to fear but fear itself … and of course the boogieman " ) , to fake humble brags ( “ I ’m a plebeian , ordinary elementary Good Shepherd of America ’s fate ” ) , toimmature puns(“I’ve upped my standard . Now , up yours . ” ) . Using vociferous Trygve Lie and two-fold - lecture in his speech , Paulsen also made masses express joy by verbally attacking the legitimate presidential candidates ( eventual winner Richard Nixon , incumbent frailty president Hubert Humphrey , and American Independent George Wallace ) . Heresponded to criticismand questions he did n’t wish by brushing off his challenger as “ finical , particular , picky . ”
Although his name did n’t appear on state ballot in 1968 , some elector did accede his name as a write - in nominee . AfterThe Smothers Brothers Comedy Hourended in 1969 , Paulsen appear onSesame StreetandGet Smart , and he had his own comedy / variety show show on ABC for a few calendar month in 1970 , calledPat Paulsen ’s Half A Comedy Hour .
Paulsen ’s electioneering was always a joke — he never posed a credible threat to factual politicians in terms of numbers of votes . Senator Robert F. Kennedy , though , played along with Paulsen ’s shtick , admitting that Paulsen made him nervous and then pledge his support to Paulsen ’s campaign before cracking a smiling and walk off .
Paulsen " ran for President of the United States " in five subsequent elections : in 1972 , 1980 , 1988 , 1992 , and 1996 . Although his effort promises continued to betongue - in - impudence , he did still get some write - in votes each time . Over the year , his name appear on the ballot in the New Hampshire popular primary election and the North Dakota Republican primary . In the 1972 New Hampshire primary , he ran as a Republican against President Nixon , getting over 1200 votes . Almost 11,000 masses across the country vote for him in the 1992 Republican primary winding . Switching partiesin 1996 , he ran as a Democrat against incumbent President Clinton , win over 1000 votes in New Hampshire .
Paulsen died in 1997 from complication from cancer and pneumonia , but his bequest of parodying the political process know on . His Word , Monty Paulsen , ran for presidentin 2008 , and TV comic Stephen Colbert run asimilar mock campaignfor president in 2008 .
