Folkie politician-would u vote for one?

Subject: Folkie politician-would u vote for one?
From: GUEST
Date: 31 Oct 06 - 10:42 PM

They say it ain't easy bein' green.

Here is da man:

Papa John Kolstad

He is running for office on the MN Green ticket this year:

For attorney general

What say you, if you had the chance to vote for him?

Yea or nay?

Subject: RE: Folkie politician-would u vote for one?
From: Peace
Date: 31 Oct 06 - 10:48 PM

Define folk!

Subject: RE: Folkie politician-would u vote for one?
From: GUEST
Date: 31 Oct 06 - 10:51 PM

Actually, he does some blues and jazz too. I suppose he should be excommunicated from the folk world.

But hell, he's still got my vote.

Subject: RE: Folkie politician-would u vote for one?
From: Peace
Date: 31 Oct 06 - 10:54 PM

LOL

Subject: RE: Folkie politician-would u vote for one?
From: GUEST,a UK resident
Date: 01 Nov 06 - 04:11 AM

Rotherham for many years had, as a Labour Member of Parliament, Stan Crowther, who wrote the song about the Vicar and the Frog.

Subject: RE: Folkie politician-would u vote for one?
From: GUEST
Date: 01 Nov 06 - 04:19 AM

Would have voted for Norman Buchan - but he died,
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: Folkie politician-would u vote for one?
From: GUEST,Jack Campin
Date: 01 Nov 06 - 05:52 AM

Robin Harper is a member of the Scottish Parliament for the Green Party. He used to simg around the Scottish folk circuit, though I don't recall hearing him.

Subject: RE: Folkie politician-would u vote for one?
From: Mr Fox
Date: 01 Nov 06 - 06:10 AM

Donnie Munro (ex-Run Rig) and John Schumann (ex-Redgum) are two folkies who went into politics.

Subject: RE: Folkie politician-would u vote for one?
From: Scrump
Date: 01 Nov 06 - 06:18 AM

I'd never vote for anyone who wanted to be a politician ;-)

Subject: RE: Folkie politician-would u vote for one?
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 01 Nov 06 - 07:08 AM

So........you don't vote then ? Scrump.

eric

Subject: RE: Folkie politician-would u vote for one?
From: MARINER
Date: 01 Nov 06 - 09:19 AM

Martin O'Malley of O'Malley's March is standing for Governor of Maryland in the coming election , I think!

Subject: RE: Folkie politician-would u vote for one?
From: mack/misophist
Date: 01 Nov 06 - 09:26 AM

It depends on how high up the ladder you go. At the upper levels of government, the job becomes so complicated that experience should be required. On the local level or for some state offices, why not? No matter how right thinking your candidate may be, if they can't work effectively, you're better off with some one else.

Subject: RE: Folkie politician-would u vote for one?
From: jeffp
Date: 01 Nov 06 - 09:51 AM

Martin O'Malley of O'Malley's March is standing for Governor of Maryland in the coming election , I think!

He sure is! He's been Mayor of Baltimore for a few years and is running for Governor now.

Subject: RE: Folkie politician-would u vote for one?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 01 Nov 06 - 10:21 AM

Any voting bloc for folkies would fall apart as soon as the first music was played under the images in a campaign ad-- because we'd splinter off into groups arguing among ourselves "what is folk."

~S~

Subject: RE: Folkie politician-would u vote for one?
From: bobad
Date: 01 Nov 06 - 10:26 AM

Kinky's folkie.

Subject: RE: Folkie politician-would u vote for one?
From: GUEST,Gadaffi
Date: 01 Nov 06 - 10:42 AM

Jon Shaw is a member of the Fabulous Fezheads, and is now a government junior whip, and a true Blairite. A bit of a sell out, I'd say!

Subject: RE: Folkie politician-would u vote for one?
From: Sandy Mc Lean
Date: 01 Nov 06 - 10:53 AM

Nova Scotia has a damn fine fiddle player as it's head of government. The jury is still out on his rating as a politician.

http://www.gov.ns.ca/premier/about.asp

Subject: RE: Folkie politician-would u vote for one?
From: GUEST
Date: 01 Nov 06 - 11:55 AM

A Cape Breton fiddler is Premier of Nova Scotia!

Subject: RE: Folkie politician-would u vote for one?
From: GUEST
Date: 01 Nov 06 - 12:09 PM

Dear Sandy, I think the jury has returned...he's a bufoon and not a very good fiddler either.

Subject: RE: Folkie politician-would u vote for one?
From: GUEST
Date: 01 Nov 06 - 12:21 PM

Fiddling politicians! Who'd of thunk it?

Subject: RE: Folkie politician-would u vote for one?
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 01 Nov 06 - 01:48 PM

Copied from Wikipedia article about Senator Robert Byrd:

Byrd was an avid fiddle player for most of his life, starting in his teens when he played in various square dance bands. Once he entered politics, he used his fiddling skills to attract attention and win votes. In 1978 when Byrd was Majority Leader, he recorded an album called U.S. Senator Robert Byrd: Mountain Fiddler (County, 1978). Byrd was accompanied by Country Gentlemen Doyle Lawson, James Bailey, and Spider Gilliam. Most of the LP consists of old-timey mountain music. Byrd covers "Don't Let Your Sweet Love Die," a Zeke Manners song, and "Will the Circle Be Unbroken." He has performed at the Kennedy Center and on Hee Haw. He can no longer play the fiddle due to the symptoms of what aides say is a benign essential tremor that affects his hands.[citation needed]

Byrd is the subject of the song "Byrd From West Virginia" by the cosmic country band "I See Hawks"[33] The song addresses the challenges and hardships of his early life (not omitting that period when "the darkness of America blinded his sight"), and pays affectionate tribute to his public service career, particularly his opposition to the invasion of Iraq.

Senator Byrd appeared in the Civil War movie Gods and Generals in 2003 along with Senator George Allen of Virginia as Confederate officers.[35]

Subject: RE: Folkie politician-would u vote for one?
From: GUEST
Date: 02 Nov 06 - 10:44 AM

i wouldn't vote for a politician based on his/her taste in music.

Subject: RE: Folkie politician-would u vote for one?
From: Betsy
Date: 02 Nov 06 - 11:02 AM

I have met both these people a couple of times in intimate folk get togethers............
I would have gladly voted for Stan Crowther (as an earlier subscriber wrote) a fine humorous humanitarian and writer of some great songs.
Marje Mowlam , another fine person ,also sadly departed , who reached high office in the U.K. was fond of her folk music and had many friends within the scene in Britain.
I worry about politicians when the say they like Jazz, THAT tells me everything about them !!!!

Cheers Betsy

Subject: RE: Folkie politician-would u vote for one?
From: melodeonboy
Date: 02 Nov 06 - 03:06 PM

To answer the question: Probably, if he/she were a melodeon player. I certainly wouldn't vote for a fiddler (they're not to be trusted!).

Subject: RE: Folkie politician-would u vote for one?
From: 12-stringer
Date: 02 Nov 06 - 05:38 PM

Governor Bob Taylor of TN (19th century) was a fiddler and has a tune or two named for him.

Another fiddling politician was Al Gore's dad, Sen Albert Gore (D-TN).

Jimmie Davis, who counts as much a folkie as anybody mentioned so far, was elected Governor of LA, as much for "You Are My Sunshine" as anything else. (One of his opponents commented that Davis would sing "How Great Thou Art" at a church social in northern LA and "Bed Bug Blues" at a barbecue in the south.)

W Lee "Pappy" O'Daniel, governor of and later Senator from TX, promoted himself into politics with a western swing band on radio and records -- originally the Light Crust Doughboys. Bob Wills and Milton Brown both got their start as musicians for O'Daniel and his Light Crust Flour company. O'Daniel wasn't himself a musician.

Lomax's Our Singing Country refers to the banjo picking High Sheriff of Hazard Co [sic!], whose music gets him re-elected every year [sic!]. If memory serves, they're speaking of Justis Begley, who recorded a number of excellent tracks for the LC.

Banjo Bill Cornett, from Knott Co, KY, was elected to the state legislature. His music was no small part of his campaign, and he even composed a song, "Old Age Pension Blues," in re: one of his pet causes, which he rendered with banjo on the floor of the house.

On the other hand, there's also "Bob Roberts." And to go even further to the Dark Side, both Orrin Hatch and John Ashcroft are songwriters. One hesitates to mention Hon. Sonny Bono (R-CA) as a "singer." Mike Curb ran for but lost the governorship of CA.

I'm sure there are others I'm leaving out.

Subject: RE: Folkie politician-would u vote for one?
From: Rabbi-Sol
Date: 02 Nov 06 - 05:43 PM

John Hall is running for U.S. Congressman from New York State. He is trying to unseat the incumbent Republican Sue Kelly. Among those who campained for him are Pete Seeger, Dar Williams, Arlo Guthrie, and Bruce Springsteen.
                                                SOL ZELLER

Subject: RE: Folkie politician-would u vote for one?
From: George Papavgeris
Date: 03 Nov 06 - 12:27 PM

Folies make good politicians because they are beyond the pale - impossible to embarass and shameless.

Subject: RE: Folkie politician-would u vote for one?
From: George Papavgeris
Date: 03 Nov 06 - 12:27 PM

Folkies too.
Folies (as in Bergeres)...aaah!

Subject: RE: Folkie politician-would u vote for one?
From: GUEST,Mark Addison
Date: 03 Nov 06 - 12:55 PM

Robin Cook showed a good understanding and appreciation of folk on his Desert Island Discs spot. Unfortunateley no longer a candidate for votes.
Tony Benn...Anyone appreciating and sharing a stage with Roy Bailey is up for a vote. Unfortunately he resigned from parliament to spend more time on politics.
Says it all really

Subject: RE: Folkie politician-would u vote for one?
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 19 Nov 06 - 11:47 PM

The outcome of the race mentioned at the beginning of this thread:

For Minnesota Attorney General:
LORI SWANSON (Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party) 1,131,474 votes, 53.24% of total
JEFF JOHNSON (Republican Party) 865,465 votes, 40.72% of total
JOHN JAMES (Independence Party) 86,032 votes, 4.05% of total
PAPA JOHN KOLSTAD (Green Party) 41,000 votes, 1.93% of total
Write-in: 1,238 votes, 0.06% of total

(from http://electionresults.sos.state.mn.us/20061107/ElecRslts.asp?M=S&Races=0335)

Subject: RE: Folkie politician-would u vote for one?
From: Bert
Date: 20 Nov 06 - 12:37 AM

Yes of course. I'd even vote republican if our DougR was running.

Subject: RE: Folkie politician-would u vote for one?
From: GUEST,mg
Date: 20 Nov 06 - 03:59 PM

Well, many people probably have...Al Gore's father was a fiddler and I have heard a clip of Al Gore himself singing and he had a beautiful voice...also Ted Kennedy is said to be a great singer of the old Irish-American songs. mg