Bill Maher Is Going To Try To Oust A Sitting Member Of Congress

[babylonsister]

Bill Maher Is Going To Try To Oust A Sitting Member Of Congress

Posted: 01/31/2014 8:31 am EST | Updated: 01/31/2014 8:59 am EST


Bill Maher has announced that his show will be trying to oust a sitting member of Congress — for real.

Maher told the New York Times on Friday that "Real Time With Bill Maher" will ask its viewers to persuade the show that their representative is the worst in the entire House. "Real Time" will then select whichever congressperson it thinks is both terrible enough and in a competitive enough race to earn the "honor" of its ire.

"Mr. Maher will make occasional visits to that member’s district to perform stand-up and generally stir up hostile feelings toward the show’s target," the Times' Bill Carter wrote.

Maher has never been shy about his political leanings, and he's made high-profile interventions into elections before. Most notably, he donated $1 million to a Super PAC supporting President Obama in the 2012 race. Moreover, comics have a long history of making mischief around election time. (In recent years, Stephen Colbert has both tried to run for president and set up his own Super PAC.) But this latest move represents perhaps Maher's most direct effort yet to tip the scales in a particular race.

Read the Times' full report at link.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/31/bill-maher-congress-race_n_4701727.html?ncid=txtlnkushpmg00000037&ir=Politics

[JustAnotherGen]

1. Oh!

He needs to come to the NJ 7th!

[rurallib]

2. I would think many of those would be rural counties

where a Maher intervention might actually boomerang. My first thought was Iowa's own Steve King. But the district is almost totally rural (Sioux City at 80,000 is the largest city, the next may be Fort Dodge at @ 20,000 and then it falls off fast). My guess is that Maher brand of humor or politics might be used as a campaign plus by King.

[HereSince1628]

11. Yes, I suspect it would rally tea-party types who, ironically,

have been heavily supported by out of state Koch-like money and much ideology from the minions of people like Roger Ailes.

Still, I can see Maher having good turnouts at western Iowa's many small colleges such as Buena Vista and Northwestern.

[bemildred]

3. Oh my God! He's gone mad in his lust for power.

[catbyte]

4. So many to choose from...

I'd seriously consider Louie Gohmert, Steve Stockman, Steve King, that Grimm guy, Darrell Issa, my miserable excuse for a rep, Justin Amash, Virginia Foxx, that jerk who shouted "You lie!" during Obama's SOTU a few years ago, etc. etc. etc. I'm sure that Bill will have a difficult time choosing who's the worst of the worst.

[tkmorris]

15. It sounds like he is being smart about it

Remember, the release said "whichever congressperson it thinks is both terrible enough and in a competitive enough race". In other words he is not going to waste time trying to campaign against someone in a district that would elect an orange traffic cone if it was running as the Repub. It sounds as if he really wants to have an effect on whatever race he chooses, instead of just making noise to further his brand.

I don't know enough about some of these districts to speculate which he might choose but I sure hope whoever he chooses he goes all in trying to defeat them. There are some real clowns in the House, surely a few of them are in competitive enough districts to mount an effective challenge.

[kaiden]

5. Mike Coffman in Colorado needs to go.

[Exultant Democracy]

22. Yup, that race should be huge. I'm tthinking about moving to CO for 2 months for it.

Of course I'm no Bill Maher, but I can knock on doors and make phone calls.

[Liberalynn]

6. Cool I would love to get mine out of the House but as much as I loathe the ground

he walks on I think as hard as it is to believe there are even worse Pukers like Cantor, Ryan etc. Tom Reed though in a nearby district is a possibility. Before redistricting he was my Rep. I used to call him the F.F. I will leave it up to your imagination what that stood for. Some Western N.Y.Counties have been persuaded to go Blue before so it's doable. He has Scandal issues too.

[Fumesucker]

7. Talk about a target rich environment.. sheesh.. n/t

[demwing]

8. Gotta be Bachmann

Good state for Maher, tons of comedy material

[pinboy3niner]

10. She announced that she won't run for re-election

She's self-ousting.

[demwing]

12. I don't believe her!

I want to believe her, but she's up to sumthin...

[Major Nikon]

18. She would have a hard time raising the cash to do it

She just barely won re-election last time even though she outspent her opponent by 12-1. She's also facing corruption charges. I hope she does run again, but I don't think you'll see it.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

9. North Carolina alone could keep him busy for the rest of his days. (n/t)

[flamingdem]

13. Wait until Rinse Penis gets a load of Maher's plan

He'll be making some calls!

[Cha]

14. I think I'm in love!

[TwilightGardener]

16. Mitch McConnell?

Maybe it's limited to the House, but Turtle Man would be my choice.

[kydo]

17. U.S. House FL District 7's John Mica must go

And it could be done it's turning more purple every election. Come on Mr. Maher. Make that occasional visit to Central Fl. We have lots places for you to perform stand-up and generally stir up hostile feelings toward Mica.

[Lochloosa]

20. I'll second that nomination! What a prick. And the rug has got to go.

[n2doc]

19. Issa!

He's in Bill's state, and what a target.

[stopbush]

21. He's also an occasional guest on Real Time, as is Dana Rohrbacher.

I wonder if Bill will have the guts to carry through on his offer if the Congressperson turns out to be one of his TV buds.