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Pat Paulsen For President [VHS]

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"In America any boy can grow up to become President. Or, if he never grows up, Vice-President." Patrick Layton Paulson.

Pat Paulsen was hired to do editorials on "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour" in 1967 and was approached by Tom and Dick with the idea of running for President in 1968. Inspired by the pension plan than came with the office, Paulsen agreed to run. Paulsen's campaign was based on double talk, outright lies, and unfounded attacks on his challengers, which simply proves that as a politicians Paulsen was ahead of his time. Paulsen did not win the 1968 election, finishing behind not only Richard Nixon but Hubert Humphrey, George Wallace, and pretty much every other third party candidate on the ballot. However, he did win an Emmy for his efforts, while the person who won the White House ended up resigning in disgrace. So, maybe there is some justice in this world.

This 1968 CBS television special, narrated by Henry Fonda, looks at Paulsen's presidential campaign. There are clips (too few of them to tell the truth) from Paulsen's political editorials as well as interviews and film of the candidate on the campaign trail. You might describe this presentation as tongue in cheek if everybody was not so serious about what is going on. Many years later Paulsen actually got on the ballot for the New Hampshire primary, but those of us who followed his career, both on and off the campaign trail, remember that first run for the White House with a special fondness. This documentary is not for rediscovering Pat Paulsen; it is for those of us who want to rekindle our memories of the man and his comedy.

Ah, those were the days! We were *on* to something then, Pat Paulsen was in particular. I voted for him, you know. I knew it wouldn't get anywhere, but he was the only candidate that made any sense. The election started getting away from us way back then. It was the peak of sixties radical activism that actually made it to mainstream media before it actually got taken off the air. With all the garbage that makes it to TV these days, it makes an interesting point that Pat Paulsen's editorial commentary, that utilized no sex or violence, was considered "not ready for prime time." It's heartbreakingly sad that we don't hear from him anymore. I, for one, miss him very much...and the Smothers Brothers, too.