Pat Paulsen - Pat Paulsen for President

All Music Guide

This comedy disc features a mockumentary of comedian and political satirist Pat Paulsen's nomination for the presidency of the United States in 1968. What began as a running gag on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour became -- for a while -- national news. Paulsen's campaign -- while wrought with fallacy-filled rhetoric and a non-commonsensical approach -- ultimately garnered him a tremendous write-in campaign from voters. Pat Paulsen for President documents the sequence of events that led to the announcement -- or more accurately revelation -- that the comedian intended to not only run for office, but also had as much support as any other non-affiliated candidate. Although some of the humor is admittedly dated, the presiding sentiments of Paulsen and his supporters have continued to echo. The proceedings are hosted by Ralph Story, who is perhaps best known for his television series Ralph Story's Los Angeles (which ran from 1964 through 1970) and as the one-time host of The 64,000 Pyram...id. The album is strung around a series of soundbites taken -- for the most part -- from Paulsen's editorial monologues on the Smothers Brothers' show. There are also a few pseudo-biographical cuts -- such as "Meet the Candidate" and "Humble Beginnings" -- that feature only Story's narration. Moments such as "Victory Rally," in which the fervor of a Paulsen-led public address whips into a Hitler-esque tirade, as well as the biting press conference send-up "Questions and Evasions," are eerie in their accuracy about political processes. The star of the disc is Paulsen's seemingly unintended -- though heavily scripted -- bumbling and accidentally honest answers to the types of questions that would have sent other candidates to an early retirement. Typical among them is his sentiment that marijuana should be kept away from kids -- "because it is too good for them." - Lindsay Planer, All Music Guide Read more Less