Photo: LA Times
Over the weekend, comedienne and award-winning television actress, Roseanne Barr sought the presidential nomination of California's socialist Peace and Freedom Party, and along with her running mate, notorious antiwar activist Cindy Sheehan, secured the party's nod at its convention in Los Angeles.
The Sacramento Bee reports that Barr, who appeared on the California primary ballot as a candidate for the Green Party presidential nomination, has re-registered in Hawaii, where she is now at work to qualify a Peace and Freedom Party for the ballot.
Interestingly, even though she is now the nominee of a political party, Barr registered without a party preference in Hawaii, making her just one of the latest of many Americans who are leaving the party system and registering as Independent voters.
When she announced her bid for the Peace and Freedom Party's nomination, Barr condemned the United States' two largest political parties in sweeping and unequivocal language:
"The American people are sick and tired of this ‘lesser evil’ garbage they get fed every election year. Both the Democrats and the Republicans do the same evils once they’re in office. I’m here to tell the voters: if you want to tell the government and the two domineering parties that you’re sick and tired of all their evil, register in the Peace and Freedom Party and vote for me and Cindy."
In addition to winning the Peace and Freedom Party's nomination over the weekend, Roseanne Barr was the guest of honor at the latest Comedy Central Roast, which was recorded Saturday and will air on Sunday, August 12th. Entertainment Weekly reports that amid jokes about Barr's weight and acting career, "her run for presidency was more revered than mocked."
Hidden inconspicuously in Entertainment Weekly's report, this may yet be the most newsworthy part of the article. Comedy Central roasts are notorious for holding no subject off limits from the mockery of the roasters. At this roast, one comedian even made a joke about the Aurora, Colorado shooting. Yet Barr's run for public office from outside the two-party system wasn't mocked as quixotic; it was "revered."
Independent voters might consider this a welcome sign of the times and a positive indicator of their cultural momentum and moral ascendancy.