Like many Ithacans, we have an affinity for political action and thought, whether it's making bold predictions about who will win the presidency in 2008 (Al Gore, running as an independent: payback time not just for his debatable loss in 2000, but against the grim machinations of two-party, big money politics that prevented him from expressing the core beliefs and leadership potential he has shown in his public life since), or (we also have an affinity for long sentences) advocating for longshot candidates who might add life and verve to the national discourse.
Of course, we are talking about Christopher Walken.
Can the star of stage and movie screen and Saturday Night Live, the man who has inspired countless mimics, inspire the American electorate with a campaign that, like him, is so strange it is sane?
Not only that, who says he is running?
A campaign website, www.walken2008.com, exists. It is not clear if it is serious, or even authorized. It is not overtly unserious. If you have a sense of drama and humor combined with your interest in politics, it is hard not to wish that it is serious.
One imagines what a debate would be like between Walken and anyone normal. One imagines that, on TV, it could outdraw the Superbowl. Here is a quote from Walken's site:
I believe in saving money. I believe in having a house. I believe in keeping things clean. I believe in exercise.
People talk about wanting plain talk in politics. Well, you got some there.
You can find a little more on the website. You can also order t-shirts and hats there. Hmmm.
Steve Burke
for Ithaca Hours
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