Harold Edward Stassen, April 13, 1907 (West St. Paul, Minn.) – March 4, 2001 (Bloomington, Minn.)
VP candidate for Straight Talking American Government Party (aka STAG Party) (1976)
Running mate with nominee: Pat Paulsen (1927-1997)
Popular vote: ? (0.00%)
Electoral vote: 0/538
The campaign:
Comedian Pat Paulsen's shtick was to deliver wickedly funny lines while maintaining a deadpan Sad Sack sort of expression. Before going into his political career I want to point out to my fellow Washington State trivia buffs that Paulsen was born and raised in South Bend, in Pacific County which is next to door to Grays Harbor County where I currently live. Members of my father's family were very active in the moonshine/bootlegging business during Paulsen's early years in the rough and tumble Raymond/South Bend area and it is possible Paulsen's father was acquainted with some of my relatives.
As one of the players on television's Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, which was considered a dangerously political program at the time, Paulsen launched his first bid for President in the 1968 election as the leader of the Straight Talking American Government Party also called the S.T.A.G. Party. The joke became very popular and Paulsen ran in most of the Presidential elections since that time until his death in 1997. In some cases he ran in the Presidential primaries of both major parties and outpolled some serious candidates.
Here's a Paulsen political sampler over the years:
We cannot stand Pat!
United we sit!
We can be decisive, probably.
If elected, I will win.
[His thoughts on considering the first campaign] Why not? I can't dance. Besides, the job has a good pension plan and I'll get a lot of money when I retire.
Only a cheap politician, greedy for political gain, would try to single out one individual for blame. The fault lies not with the individual but with the system, and that system is Richard Nixon.--1972
A good many people today feel our present draft laws are unjust. These people are called soldiers. In one of the arguments against the draft, we hear it is unfair, immoral, discourages young men from studying, ruins their careers and their lives. Picky, picky, picky! We propose a draft lottery, in which the names of all eligible males will be put into a hat, and the men will be drafted according to their hat sizes. The tiny heads will go into the military service, and the fat heads will go into government.--1968
I've upped my standards. Now, up yours.
We have nothing to fear but fear itself … and of course the boogieman.
All the problems we face in the United States today can be traced to an unenlightened immigration policy on the part of the American Indian.
Assuming either the Left Wing or the Right Wing gained control of the country, it would probably fly around in circles.
You can fool some of the people all of the time and all of the people some of the time, but you can only make a monkey out of the voters every four years!
In America, any boy can grow up to become president. Or, if he never grows up, vice president.
I read an article that said one in five Americans thinks Elvis is alive. I want to find those morons and get them registered to vote for me.
As I've always said: The future lies ahead.
In 1976 Paulsen denied he was running for President for the third time, and then launched a full-fledged national "Denial Campaign." When asked if he was really running for President he answered, "Yes and no."
His comments on his non-opponents in his non-campaign:
We have a choice between two very energetic forceful, dynamic, decision-making leaders-- Lester Maddox and Eugene McCarthy.
Jimmy Carter is a man who grew from humble beginnings to become one of Georgia's leading peanut farmers. Just what we need-- another nut in the White House. Carter wants to clamp down on the CIA and the FBI. I don't know why. The closest they've come to taking over a government is ours. They say Carter doesn't know anything about foreign affairs. I say at least he's lusted after them in his heart.
I think Ford is dynamic, speaks clearly on the issues and is not afraid to take a stand. Of course, I'm talking about Betty. I don't blame President Ford for our troubles. He hasn't done anything.
In 1968 and 1972 he had been coy about who he would select as a running mate. But in late June 1976 Paulsen let it be known he wanted Harold Stassen as his VP. Of course, Paulsen continued to deny he was running as he said this. Wink. Wink.
By 1976 the very name Harold Stassen had a comedic effect. He was a punch line, as Paulsen intended it to be. Once a Boy Wonder liberal Republican and a serious contender for the 1948 Presidential nomination of that party, Stassen had become known as America's most famous perennial candidate. After his terms as Governor of Minnesota 1939-1943 he attempted the Republican nomination for President nine times between 1944-1992. He also failed to be elected Governor of Pennsylvania twice, Mayor of Philadelphia, the US Senate twice, the US House, and Governor of Minnesota again.
In spite of his efforts, Paulsen probably did rack up a number of write-in votes in 1976. Some writers were starting to call him the Harold Stassen of comedians.
Paulsen would be back after 1976, and so would Stassen. In 1992 Paulsen outpolled Stassen in the Republican primaries for US President.
Other occupations: soldier (US Navy WWII), attorney, President of the University of Pennsylvania 1948-1953, Director of the Mutual Security Agency 1953, Director of the US Foreign Operations Administration 1953-1955
Election history:
1931-1939 - District Attorney of Dakota County (Minn.) (Republican)
1939-1943 - Governor of Minnesota (Republican)
1944 - Republican nomination for US President - defeated
1948 - Republican nomination for US President - defeated
1952 - Republican nomination for US President - defeated
1958 - Republican nomination for Governor of Pennsylvania - primary - defeated
1959 - Mayor of Philadelphia, Penn. (Republican) - defeated
1964 - Republican nomination for US President - defeated
1966 - Republican nomination for Governor of Pennsylvania - defeated
1968 - Republican nomination for US President - defeated
1978 - Republican nomination for US Senate (Minn.) - defeated
1980 - Republican nomination for US President - defeated
1982 - Republican nomination for Governor of Minnesota - defeated
1984 - Republican nomination for US President - defeated
1986 - US House of Representatives (Minn.) (Republican) - defeated
1988 - Republican nomination for US President - defeated
1992 - Republican nomination for US President - defeated
1994 - Republican nomination for US Senate (Minn.) - defeated
Buried: Acacia Park Cemetery (Mendota Heights, Minn.)
Notes:
Youngest person ever elected Minnesota Governor.
Participated in the first recorded Presidential primary debate with Thomas Dewey in 1948
Led the "Dump Nixon" for VP effort in 1956.
Baptist.
Considered a liberal Republican for the most part.
Noted later in life for his ill-fitting toupée.
