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Fark's Drew Curtis Running For Governor of Kentucky

Posted by timothy on from the dark-horse dept.

New submitter AlCapwn writes [Fark founder] Drew Curtis announced on Friday that he will be running for governor of Kentucky. "We have a theory that we're about to see a huge change in how elections and politics work. Across the country, we have seen regular citizens stepping up and challenging the status quo built by political parties and career politicians. They have been getting closer and closer to victory and, here in Kentucky, we believe we have a chance to win and break the political party stronghold for good."

34 of 120 comments (clear)

  1. Still no cure for cancer. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I think this should be his campaign motto.

  2. "getting closer and closer to victory..." by jeffb+(2.718) · · Score: 2

    In the same sense that I'm getting closer and closer to Alpha Centauri.

  3. Official Caturday by Ksevio · · Score: 5, Funny

    As his first act - Caturday will be a recognized (weekly) holiday and Kentucky will adopt the squirrel as it's mascot.

    1. Re:Official Caturday by Rei · · Score: 3, Funny

      Haha, yeah, I remember back when all that was on fark.com was a picture of that squirrel with the oversized genitals. Heck, I knew him before Fark.com, when he was the wizard Cletus on the mud Three Kingdoms.

      God I feel old...

      --
      Crowd: What do we want? Fry: Fry's dog! Crowd: When do we want it? Fry: Fry's dog!
    2. Re:Official Caturday by Zontar+The+Mindless · · Score: 4, Funny

      As a native son of the Great State of Kentucky, it is my solemn duty to inform you that the squirrel is already our state bird.

      --
      Il n'y a pas de Planet B.
  4. He'll win in a landslide by paiute · · Score: 3, Funny

    All he has to do is shadowban all the voters in the other party.

    --
    If Slashdot were chemistry it would look like this:Cadaverine
    1. Re:He'll win in a landslide by plopez · · Score: 3, Insightful

      The Republicans are already working on that.

      --
      putting the 'B' in LGBTQ+
    2. Re:He'll win in a landslide by circletimessquare · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Voter fraud is a nonissue fearmongered and blown out of proportion to enact the real disenfranchisement: Republicans pass laws making voting harder for blacks and the poor.

      http://www.theatlantic.com/pol...

      It's interesting because it's a last ditch desperate effort to preserve a voting base of old white conservative people which is quite literally dying off.

      Then there is the gerrymandering to make sure the Republican voters always dominate in any given Rorschach ink blot of a voting "district."

      But after that, Republicans have a real problem keeping and growing a voter base.

      Long term, they either die off, or they radically change their ideology.

      --
      intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
    3. Re: He'll win in a landslide by Peter+Simpson · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Fraud by ineligeable voters is a ridiculously inefficient and costly way to rig an election. Unpredictable, too. Anyone wanting to fix an election would either mess with the voting machines or the totals if they wanted to guarantee success.

    4. Re:He'll win in a landslide by TWX · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Until government-issue ID is completely free and requires almost no effort on the part of the individual to attain it, then the mandate for that ID in order to vote is a form of disenfranchisement. The right to vote predates the mandate to have ID.

      I think that voting should be mandatory, and to get an exemption one needs to file to be a voting-equivalent of a conscientious objector.

      --
      Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
    5. Re:He'll win in a landslide by ixidor · · Score: 2

      so the same ID that the majority of the population already has, because you already need it for so many things, like: voting driving id to get a job id to buy alcohol id to buy firearms id to verify age for other things etc... costs $10 and a stand in line at the DMV. heck, here you can schedule an appointment. Oh, they cant be bothered to go spend the $10, and spend time at the dmv, for something you might use atleast once a week for the rest of your life... and you want them voting?...

    6. Re: He'll win in a landslide by Peter+Simpson · · Score: 2

      Fraud by ineligeable voters is a ridiculously inefficient and costly way to rig an election.

      You sound like you think that either party would consider that a reason not to do something.

      Nope, I'm thinking from the point of view of someone who wants to win an election. Counting on ineligeable voters to show up is risky, and if I wanted to make sure my guy came out ahead, I wouldn't bet all the marbles on that scheme. I'd mess with the machines or the accounting software. Much cleaner and, if done right, leaves no trace. Or, I'd take advantage of defects in the voting system itself (hanging chads, for example).

      Whatever you might think of political parties (and I probably share your feelings, but perhaps not about the same party), they employ some very smart people. Smart enough to realize that "voter fraud" is and always has been, a non-issue. Voter ID laws are about one thing and one thing only: raising the bar high enough so the people you don't want voting...can't. It's literacy tests all over again. To claim otherwise is to insult the intelligence of the people you're talking with.

  5. Where Does He Stand On the Issues? by ohnocitizen · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This isn't new, we've seen candidates from outside the political establishment try to break in before. What irks me is here is a guy saying "I'm an outsider, support me" as if that and net neutrality ought to be enough. It isn't. I don't know where this guy stands on various matters of civil and human rights, taxation, health care, education, the environment, separation of church and state, etc.

    I'm even more suspicious when I see someone railing against "special interest groups", since many of the groups opposing net neutrality (like the EFF) count as special interest groups. That is just a catch all term for groups of people with money that spend it to influence politics. That includes groups we might oppose (like the Koch Brothers or "The Family") and groups we might support (FFRF and the EFF).

    If he is serious about winning, he needs to put his cards on the table and let the people he is running to represent know how he will support them on the things they care about. Even if it is simply "I will hold public opinion polls and honor their conclusion". Because right now he is a closed book.

    1. Re:Where Does He Stand On the Issues? by MickyTheIdiot · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Comparing the EFF to someone like the Koch industries is kind of funny. It's kind of like comparing an ant to a steamroller. Even if the EFF is incredibly strong it isn't going to win.

    2. Re:Where Does He Stand On the Issues? by ScentCone · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Even if it is simply "I will hold public opinion polls and honor their conclusion"

      So, you'd be OK with him supporting mandatory labeling on all foods that contain DNA? Because 80% of the population says they support their government helping them out with that.

      I'd never support a politician who says he'll do what the majority say they want. We don't need mob rule directly, or by proxy, either.

      --
      Don't disappoint your bird dog. Go to the range.
    3. Re:Where Does He Stand On the Issues? by microcars · · Score: 3, Interesting

      "No experiments. Leave people alone. And don't spend money that you don't have."

      Reference: http://bizlex.com/2015/01/excl...

      It should be noted that he is not scheduled to make a formal announcement until Monday (tomorrow).

      --
      I like microcars
    4. Re:Where Does He Stand On the Issues? by nitehawk214 · · Score: 4, Informative

      Also, in that comparison, one of the entities is pure evil and the other is at least trying to do the right thing.

      Also, the GP says that the EFF opposes net neutrality. That is not the case. I think what the oppose is the current FCC's flawed attempts at implementing it with a bunch of special case provisions that completely gut the idea of it.

      --
      I'm a good cook. I'm a fantastic eater. - Steven Brust
    5. Re:Where Does He Stand On the Issues? by rwa2 · · Score: 3, Interesting

      http://fark.com/ is as close to a bipartisan "internet tavern" as I've ever seen. They used to have a "political balance meter" to try to link to a roughly equal number of stories / threads with a "leftist" and "rightist" spin. Anyway, it's useful to (occasionally) see well-articulated thoughts and opinions from "the other side", or even just discussion of news events from different perspectives... stuff that more often devolves into flamewars or gets stuck or pigeonholed on other social media.

      That said, yeah, I know next to nothing about Drew, but it sounds like he might be a good moderator of useful discussion. Over beer.

    6. Re:Where Does He Stand On the Issues? by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 2

      "No experiments. Leave people alone. And don't spend money that you don't have."

      It seems to me that governments should do more experiments, gather data on whether programs are actually working, and base future policies on empirical evidence.

      "Leave people alone" sounds great in theory, but where does he draw the line? If someone is robbing a gas station at gunpoint, should we leave them alone? What if they refuse to pay their taxes? What if they are dumping methyl mercury into a creek that flows into Louisville's water supply?

      "Don't spend money that you don't have" is already the law in Kentucky. The state government is required to balance the budget every year.

    7. Re:Where Does He Stand On the Issues? by Zontar+The+Mindless · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Most politicians who are up to date on their PR/Marketing consider branding to be a key part of their campaign strategy.

      --
      Il n'y a pas de Planet B.
    8. Re:Where Does He Stand On the Issues? by slaker · · Score: 4, Interesting

      To be honest, most of the politics tab trolls (GaryPDX, HellBentForLeather, Bevets) have up and left or been banned and a lot of the former right-wing true believers with a shred of integrity (Weaver95, HubieStewart) of now have pinned some form of "I'm not a republican, I'm a libertarian" badge on in its place. Fark's Politics tab is mostly moderates and left-of-center types condemning republican talking points and making fun of the obvious trolls. That MIGHT change as we move closer to election season, but I think those with truly opposing viewpoints have scuttled off to Reddit or Freeperland.

      --
      -- I wanna decide who lives and who dies - Crow T. Robot, MST3K
    9. Re:Where Does He Stand On the Issues? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

      That would be because there is no such thing as a Republican with integrity any more. That's not to say that the Democrats are a bastion of honesty or anything, but the Republican party has become the most repugnant major party in American political history. They are literally cartoon villains at this point. I hope that some day an actual left-wing party (as in, European left-wing) comes into existence, the Democrats can slide about half an inch to the right and take over where the Republicans left off as the right-wing party, and the Republicans can become the equivalent of a European nationalist party, existing only to suck extremist facist votes away from legitimate parties.

    10. Re:Where Does He Stand On the Issues? by mjm1231 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      "Leave people alone" is a statement so broad that it is completely meaningless. It is impossible to live in a manner that has no impact on other people. The hard and real question is always where the lines should be drawn.

      --
      Ideology: A tool used primarily to avoid the bother of thinking.
  6. Not a career politician? by the_skywise · · Score: 3, Insightful

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D...
    > I don't care what anyone says, the masses are morons. My own grandmother is an idiot. You can't count on them to pick good stuff. Just check out Network TV to see what the masses want for entertainment. There's certainly a place for that kind of thing but it's not on Fark. Now go away and let me finish taking a crap!

    And now he wants the "masses" help to elect him?

    Do you think that's air you're breathing? Hmmm...

    1. Re:Not a career politician? by Livius · · Score: 2

      He clearly has less contempt for the masses that most other politicians, so he has that going for him.

  7. DEAR RICHARD by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    This can't be allowed to go unpunished. Lowtax needs to run for governor of Missouri...then Missouri should invade Kentucky.

  8. Kentucky by Greyfox · · Score: 4, Funny

    If you live outside of Kentucky you might only know them for their derby. What many people don't know is that Kentucky also makes some of the finest jelly around, and that many stores outside the state carry it. So if you've never had the experience, you should pop 'round to your local grocer and ask about Kentucky jelly today!

    --

    I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?

    1. Re:Kentucky by ColdWetDog · · Score: 2, Funny

      Jelly? WTF?

      Whiskey.
      Let's get adult here.

      --
      Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
    2. Re:Kentucky by Pokey.Clyde · · Score: 3, Funny

      KY jelly.

  9. US politics are tainted with money by sinij · · Score: 4, Insightful

    US politics, thanks to judicial rule-writing, is forever tainted with money. "Regular citizens" have absolutely no chance to get elected, unless they sell-out in exchange for campaign contributions.

    If Jesus Christ returned and was running for congress today, we would probably see attack adds smearing his family, alleging connections to Romans, and questioning the time he spent on the cross.

    1. Re:US politics are tainted with money by PolygamousRanchKid+ · · Score: 2

      If Jesus Christ returned and was running for congress today, we would probably see attack adds smearing his family, alleging connections to Romans, and questioning the time he spent on the cross.

      Turning water into wine? Bootlegging; producing alcohol without a license or paying taxes on it.

      Healing the sick? Practicing medicine without a license, and violating FDA rules.

      Walking on water? Illegally operating an unlicensed water vessel, without a license.

      Feeding a crowd with just two fish? McDonald's and Burger King would sue him, and demand an FDA inquiry into his kitchen methods.

      And, of course the racist crew would call him a "Jewish Bastard", which is kinda sorta technically correct.

      That's probably why he hasn't come back . . .

      --
      Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!
  10. Re:1st Post by Radak · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Don't you mean boobies?

  11. Re:foods that contain DNA by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Why can't we know if there are genetically modified organisms in the food supply?

    You can know that. Just look for packages that say "No GMO", or "Organic", as thousands of products do.
    You are free to exercise your phobias. Just don't impose them on other people.

  12. I can't wait for his first CNN interview by Revek · · Score: 2

    The ever changing image for CNN has included -4600 for wolf blitzers epic fail on jeopardy to the current one here. The story as I read it was that CNN wanted him to pay for use of their logo and he decided to create his on.