(Dullard Mush) – Let’s face it, fringe candidates can be kind of fun to watch. The favorites are almost always so scripted and on-message even the most casual political observer can predict with Carnac the Magnificent-like accuracy what they will say to any given question. But for the fringe-dwellers, who knows what will come forth.
The only problem, though, is that for every fringe candidate (and, well let’s be honest, by “fringe” we mean slightly kooky) there are usually a couple other equally under-funded hopefuls trying to get their non-quirky message out. They might actually have a plan that makes sense, ideas that could work and, in most cases, a refreshing honesty when it comes to answering questions. But what they usually don’t have is the chance to get their message out effectively to the masses. They can’t bombard the airwaves with 30-second spots or plaster billboards everywhere. That’s why political shows like Jon Ralston’s “Face to Face” and Sam Shad’s “Nevada Newsmakers” are so important for those candidates. It probably won’t translate into many votes, but it is a chance for ideas to be aired.
But now, thanks to GOP U.S. Senate candidate Mike Wiley, one of those avenues may be closing. Wiley’s recent appearance on F2F, where the conversation drifted to UFO coverups and such, has Ralston rethinking his booking policy.
At some point, you have to draw the line — and we have chosen that point as one year before the election. We will set standards for all the contests — U.S. Senate on down.
Some will say they are arbitrary. Some will say they are unfair. But I assure you they will be … serious.
Hopefully this won’t completely doom the lesser-known candidates, but if so, they only have Wiley to blame.
The funny thing about conspiracy kooks and fringe candidates is that people don’t real have to attack them to make them look ridiculous. They do such a damn good job themselves.
Take, for instance, Mike Wiley and his GOP primary campaign for U.S. Senate. His recent performance on Face to Face was so bad, claiming a government cover-up of UFOs tends to do that, host Jon Ralston decided to change the criteria for future guests. I posted on it, wondering if Wiley had ruined it for other, less conspiratorially-minded, candidates.
The good news is Wiley read the article and took the time to respond. The bad news is his response is the same angry, everyone is out to get me screed that just tends to reinforce the image of him being, well, a nut.
Dear Mush,
It is a shame that you are a fake. First of all it was pathetic that Ralston, would take a little known issue and go with it without knowing the origin. As a radio talk show host we have many callers and many issues. The liberals trying to make me look foolish and with their total control of the media, brought up the fact that some callers to the show discussed the Governments knowledge of UFO’s. The liberal media tried to make it seem like it was a campaign issue. It was merely an attempt to deter from the real issues of a campaign that liberals don’t like to discuss.
Now Ralston could have not brought it up, but his intent was to demeen my character. You noticed that you did not bring up the big story and that is the GAO report on the misrepresentations of where tax payer money is going. But liberals and half baked bloggers like you that can’t make it in real life as a real reporter. why don’t you first get the facts before you spout off. If there is anyone to blame it is you for not being professional enough to write a real column like Muth another website geek athon. Why don’t you half bakes try to run for office and really do something for this country instead of complain and dump on people who you can’t even relate to. Come out from your laptop and let’s debate.
If you have the guts.
Is that really how a serious candidate hoping to take on Harry Reid responds in public? Granted, Reid or a Sue Lowden may think that, actually they probably do many times, but they have enough savvy not to say that in public. Now, of course, Wiley would probably respond how that is what makes him different from them and include some polemic about speaking the truth. That’s fine, more honesty is what is needed in politics. But all Wiley’s “speaking the truth” does is prove he is a somewhat-paranoid, blowhard who seemingly gets angry at the drop of a hat. Hardly the qualities a voter looks for in a U.S. Senator.
So even if by some chance Wiley should come into the millions needed to mount a serious campaign, it wouldn’t matter. It’s not the “liberal media” or Hillary Clinton that is holding him back, it is himself. Just take a look at his comments to a Las Vegas Sun story last month, specifically the comments section.
Once again Ralston and Company want to ignore GOP Senate candidates who are legal and are getting attention from Republican groups. Funny Chachas didn’t bother showing up to the National Federation of Republican women’s candidate forum, maybe he is not serious about running. I guess because he is a millionaire he qualifies to be on Ralston’s show. I can just see the Teamsters lining up for his campaign.
Well after I, Mike Wiley spoke, I was invited by three Republican groups to speak. I must have said something right, huh Johnnie Boy.
Maybe it’s because as a former conservative Democrat and the son and grandson of teamsters, I could actually win this thing after I take out the chosen Republican wealthy and whiney in my primary, none of whom have had to deal with the Far Left lunatics like I in a US Senate race.
Maybe because I did so well in the last US Senate race I ran in, in 1994, that you want to ignore me. Funny the Clinton White House didn’t ignore me, when they tried to buy me out of the race or when they had me taken off the air on Boston radio a year later.
You liberals are all a like, 2 and 2 is five and he did not have sex with that women. Why don’t you lefties try the truth once and a while and put people on who speak it. What are you afraid of?
And the subsequent, “Is that guy for real?” response from a typical voter.
Hey, Mike Wiley, are you running next year against Harry Reid? Who are you? You ran in 1994? Where, here in Nevada? You think anyone with a brain cell is going to give you the time of day after reading your bitter diatribe? Are you a conspiracy theorist, just paranoid or simply mentally ill? You sound like a nut case in your post! BTW, Teamsters do not endorse Republicans. Seek mental health help, soon, and stay out of politics, we don’t need any more nutty republic (sic, thanks Ensign) senators in Washington D.C. I don’t like Harry Reid but if it’s a choice between him and someone like you, I’ll vote Reid. I just wish the Senate would remove him as Majority Leader. In that position, he’s worthless, but you sound simply crazy.
Crazy indeed.
If you want to see the Face to Face interview that started it all, go here for all four segments. The UFO part is in segment one. And, yes, he states his belief in UFOs and that the government knows about it, not some bit about talk show callers discussing it.
I was leaning towards the whole “Mike Wiley is angry shtick” as just that — an act to drum up some interest in a former talk-radio guy without a job and no prospect of remotely coming close to double digits in the GOP U.S. Senate primary. But I think he really may be so out of touch with reality he honestly believes he is a serious candidate.
As if believing in UFO cover-ups, making racist jokes and thinking Hillary Clinton was out to get him wasn’t enough, we are now to believe his doctor and a congressional candidate are both telling him how he schooled Jon Ralston in their infamous debate (and by infamous, we mean because Wiley was so bad).
Here’s Wiley’s latest comment for us and his continued struggle with the rational:
Hey Richard Cranium, let me tell you what some real non bias people thought of my interview instead of you Lowden low lifes working for her victory while sucking on federal campaign funds you should not be collecting, but that is for another day.
So I am in my doctors office the other day and I tell him I am running for US Senate and he tells me “thats right I saw you on Ralston” “You were great”. A man running for congress told me that he thought I did a great job as well. He does not remember seeing Ralston so flustered because he could not crack me. Well you and that misfit you work for won’t crack me either. You guys should take a course in telling the truth even if it disqualifies you from blog sports.
(This column was compiled from three separate blog posts, the originals of which can be found at www.dullardmush.com)