In this Book
- The Presidential Fringe: Questing and Jesting for the Oval Office
- Book
- 2020
- Published by: University of Nebraska Press
summary
This offbeat slice of American history places the story of our great republic beneath an unexpected lens: that of fringe candidates for president of the United States. Mark Stein explores how their quest for our nation’s highest office helped to amplify voices otherwise quashed during their day. His careening tour through elections past includes the efforts of true pioneers in the quest for social equality in our country: the first woman to run for president, Victoria Woodhull in 1872; the first African American to run for president, George E. Taylor in 1904; and the first openly gay cross-dressing candidate for president, Joan Jett Blakk in 1992.
But The Presidential Fringe also takes a look at those who would jest their way into the Oval Office, from comedians such as Will Rogers and Gracie Allen to Pat Paulsen and Stephen Colbert. Along the way, Stein shows how even seemingly zany candidates, such as “Live Forever” Jones, Vegetarian Party candidate John Maxwell, Flying Saucer Party candidate Gabriel Green, or, most recently, Vermin Supreme, provide extraordinary insights of clarity into who we were when they ran for president and how we became who we are today. Ultimately, Stein’s examination reveals that it was often precisely these fringe candidates who planted the seeds from which mainstream candidates later harvested genuine, positive change.
Written in Stein’s direct and witty style, The Presidential Fringe surveys and portrays an American landscape rife with the unlikely, unassuming, unexpected, and (in a few cases) unbalanced presidential hopefuls who, in their own way, have contributed to this nation’s founding quest to form a more perfect Union.
But The Presidential Fringe also takes a look at those who would jest their way into the Oval Office, from comedians such as Will Rogers and Gracie Allen to Pat Paulsen and Stephen Colbert. Along the way, Stein shows how even seemingly zany candidates, such as “Live Forever” Jones, Vegetarian Party candidate John Maxwell, Flying Saucer Party candidate Gabriel Green, or, most recently, Vermin Supreme, provide extraordinary insights of clarity into who we were when they ran for president and how we became who we are today. Ultimately, Stein’s examination reveals that it was often precisely these fringe candidates who planted the seeds from which mainstream candidates later harvested genuine, positive change.
Written in Stein’s direct and witty style, The Presidential Fringe surveys and portrays an American landscape rife with the unlikely, unassuming, unexpected, and (in a few cases) unbalanced presidential hopefuls who, in their own way, have contributed to this nation’s founding quest to form a more perfect Union.
Table of Contents
Download Full Book
- Title Page, Copyright
- pp. i-vi
- List of Illustrations
- pp. ix-x
- Acknowledgments
- pp. xi-xii
- The Presidential Fringe
- PART 1. Fringe Candidates in the Eighteenth to Early Twentieth Centuries
- Joseph Smith: Cult Candidate?
- pp. 13-18
- PART 2. Running onto the New Field of Radio and Television
- Will Rogers: Anti-Bunk Party
- pp. 67-72
- Gracie Allen: Surprise Party
- pp. 73-79
- John Maxwell: Vegetarian Party
- pp. 80-87
- PART 3. The Earthquake of 1968 and Its Aftershocks
- Louis Abolafia: World Love Party
- pp. 105-115
- Pat Paulsen: TV Comedian—STAG Party
- pp. 116-125
- Pigasus: Yippie Candidate
- pp. 138-146
- Aftershocks: Nobody for President
- pp. 147-153
- Joan Jett Blakk: Queer Nation Candidate
- pp. 154-158
- PART 4. Clowns and Quixotes Stampede the Internet and Cable tv
- Vermin Supreme: “Why Not the Worst?”
- pp. 161-168
- Frank Moore: Just Makes Sense Party
- pp. 183-184
- Keith Russell Judd: Federal Inmate 11593-051
- pp. 185-188
- Jimmy McMillan: Rent Is Too Damn High Party
- pp. 197-202
- Naked Cowboy: Independent in Underpants
- pp. 203-207
- Deez Nuts: Games with Balls Candidate
- pp. 208-209
- Andrew Basiago: Time Travel Candidate
- pp. 210-213
- Zoltan Istvan: Transhumanist Party
- pp. 214-217
- In Exiting—Watch Your Step
- pp. 218-220
- Bibliography
- pp. 251-258
Additional Information
ISBN
9781640121256
Related ISBN(s)
9781640120327
MARC Record
OCLC
1131089350
Pages
296
Launched on MUSE
2020-01-06
Language
English
Open Access
No