Clooney For Congress!

[davemackey]

Nick Clooney has announced his candidacy for a Congressional seat representing Kentucky in the November 2004 elections. If elected, he could be the first game show host to hold national public office. (Nick, of course, hosted "The Money Maze" in 1974-1975.)

Of course, he wouldn't be the first game show PERSONALITY to hold office... Fred Grandy, who made many game show appearances as the Love Boat's Gopher, held a House seat from Iowa for several terms.

[GSWitch]

I'm rooting for him!  Let's hope he doesn't get turned around like the revolving door in the middle of the Monkey Maze, I mean Money Maze!  Sorry, I remember Vicki Lawrence making that blooper on her talk show!

[DrBear]

Hmmm....maybe that pipe dream of ProfSteve to pass a law making game show winnings exempt from taxes could finally find a sponsor?

[calliaume]

Here's the story.  I guess he's running as a Democrat.

Nick's a good guy -- still waiting for him to call me back from two years ago, though.  (Honest, he called after I put my web page URL on his then-radio station's comments page.  Karen took the message, and relayed it to me in a state of shock.)

[GSWitch]

A few years back, I sent Clooney when he was on AMC, a snail mail myself & got a 4 page reply from him about his Money Maze days.

He didn't like the show being @ such a late time (3:00 PM CST) when local affiliates preferred other programming than network offerings (Money Maze/Tattle Tales/Somerset).  KTRK in Houston had the Money Maze.

Nick also told me that in 1975, he was offered a job from Heatter-Quigley to host (what would be their turkey) The Magnificent Marble Machine on NBC.  Clooney wisely turned down the hosting job (which Art James would get) because he didn't want to move his family to Hollywood.  He didn't feel that George would be ready for the jet set that young!

[cweaver]

[quote name=\'davemackey\' date=\'Nov 24 2003, 04:43 PM\'] Of course, he wouldn't be the first game show PERSONALITY to hold office... Fred Grandy, who made many game show appearances as the Love Boat's Gopher, held a House seat from Iowa for several terms. [/quote]
 IIRC, Fred was the first person I saw--maybe not the first person to do it, but the first person I saw--actually rack up 200 points by himself during the "Fast Money" round on "Family Feud."  He did it during a prime time edition on ABC, if I'm remembering right.

BTW, did anyone else happen to pick up on the irony that one of Nick Clooney's opponents has a first name of Geoff?

[calliaume]

Nick also told me that in 1975, he was offered a job from Heatter-Quigley to host (what would be their turkey) The Magnificent Marble Machine on NBC. Clooney wisely turned down the hosting job (which Art James would get) because he didn't want to move his family to Hollywood. He didn't feel that George would be ready for the jet set that young!

Imagine Clooney saying, "Let's see, I just did a game show that featured people running around a big honkin' maze that airs in a time period where most stations run their own programming, and it was a flop.  Now I'm being offered a game show that features people playing a big honkin' pinball machine that airs in a time period where most stations run their own programming.  What do I do?  What do I do?"

I'm not saying George's upbringing wasn't the the primary reason for turning The Magnificent Marble Machine down, but you have to think this might have crossed his mind.