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09/29/2003 Archived Entry: "Republican Party seeks to draft Miller into politics"

SENATOR MILLER?: (via Dispatches) California Republicans seem to be drinking a lot these days because a couple of them have a bright idea: Draft Dennis Miller to run for statewide office.

The comedian Dennis Miller is being talked about, apparently seriously, as a Republican candidate for a statewide post. Three Republican strategists interviewed in the past week have said they want to draft Miller into politics. One, a prominent Republican operative and Schwarzenegger aide who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that once the recall election is over, he plans to recruit Miller to challenge Barbara Boxer for her U.S. Senate seat next year.

The Schwarzenegger campaign even provided Miller a political audition of sorts this week. The comedian, famous for his raunchy and irreverent rants and his stint on "Saturday Night Live" more than a decade ago, provided the campaign's official post-debate spin in Sacramento Wednesday night. Later the same evening, Miller spoke at a Schwarzenegger rally.

Miller, who is registered to vote as a Republican in Santa Barbara, betrayed no political ambitions in either appearance. He was filming a guest appearance on the Fox show "Boston Public" this week and declined to be interviewed for this story. But that has not kept Republicans from considering the possibility.

I liked Miller even when he was a liberal in the 80s and 90s and I think he's smarter than 95 per cent of the population but I find it difficult to believe that he would win high office. Too many people wouldn't understand his speeches and nobody likes looking stupid. I'd vote for him in a second. Couldn't you just imagine the speeches he'd give as senator?

Read on.