Regis and Kathie farewell show
Kathie Lee Gifford, August 16, 1953 (Paris, France) -
VP candidate for Reform Party of the United States of America / Independent (2000)
Running mate with nominee: Uncle Duke (b. 1974)
Popular vote: ? (0.00%)
Electoral vote: 0/538
The campaign:
Uncle Duke is a character in Garry Trudeau's long-running political comic strip Doonesbury. It was never clear if Duke was his surname or first name, but he was initially alleged to be the uncle of Zonker Harris. The drug-soaked comic character was clearly based on Hunter S. Thompson who was surprisingly angered by this cartoon version of himself. If I recall, Thompson at the time said he would rip Trudeau's lungs out if they ever met. It was a clash of two iconoclasts and Thompson demonstrated a low tolerance for being on the other end of parody. As an admirer of both gentlemen at the time I recall being disappointed in Thompson's inability to accept the honor of being famous enough to be spoofed.
Uncle Duke's campaign included a webpage and merchandise. Trudeau told the press in Feb. 2000, "Duke characterizes his overall political philosophy as either compassionate fascism or coercive libertarianism. At his core, he holds libertarian values, but he believes in a kind of wide-ranging, state-sponsored political freedom. He'd require gun ownership and regulate marijuana packaging and distribution to help save the family farmer. He wants to underwrite a massive rebuilding of the nation's aging racetracks."
Duke had made a bid, via Internet and the printed comic strip, for the Reform Party nomination but eventually ran as an independent. For his running-mate he selected TV co-host Kathie Lee Gifford of the iconic Live! with Regis and Kathie Lee, where she appeared with Regis Philbin on a regular morning talk show. After 12 years she went to other pursuits about the same time she was nominated for VP.
Uncle Duke announced his running-mate during an interview with Larry King on Mar. 13, 2000:
KING: We're not going to have a -- we're not going to have a first lady?
DUKE: Let me tell you something: I am going to have a -- let me -- I'm going to announce it exclusively right here on LARRY KING. Speaking of first lady, I want to talk about my vice presidential candidate. I want to announce that it's going to be Kathie Lee Gifford. You know why, Larry?
KING: Why?
DUKE: One, she's available. Two, she's used to being, you know, VP, second banana. She's been vice president under Regis for a long time. She's tough. She knows how to run a string of sweatshops. And lastly, she's perky. You know, I mean, perky, that's key. You know, we haven't had a perky vice president, since you know, well, you have to go all the way back to Dan Quayle. And perky, like a cheerleader, and she's also headline-bait.
That's why -- I think Kathie Lee is going to really help out this -- this campaign.
KING: It's Duke and Kathie Lee Gifford, is the ticket...
DUKE: That's exactly right. Thank you, Larry, for saying that so well.
Unfortunately for the Uncle Duke campaign, it was announced in Sept. 2000 that Gifford apparently sent word via her attorney that she did not desire to be on the ticket or associated in any way with the electioneering. But Duke, it seems, never replaced her and apparently continued as if she was still the VP.
Election history: none
Other occupations: television host, actress, author, songwriter, singer
Notes:
Born to American parents in Paris, France.
Brush with fame-- I have a copy of Doonesbury : a Musical Comedy (1984) inscribed by Garry
Trudeau to the actor Keith Szarabajka who portrayed the character of B.D. in the play. It reads:
Keith, this is the final script, okay? No more cuts or changes. I promise. Your pal, Garry. Sept. '84.
