America’s Favorite Loser: Why It’s Time to Take Clay Aiken Seriously

[OKNancy]

America’s Favorite Loser: Why It’s Time to Take Clay Aiken Seriously

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/04/03/america-s-favorite-loser-why-it-s-time-to-take-clay-aiken-seriously.html

Twelve years and a run for Congress haven’t helped Clay Aiken shed the ghost of ‘Idol.’ But as a new documentary on that political bid proves, there can be glory in second place.
Clay Aiken says “fuck” a lot.

Maybe more than you do. Certainly more than you’d expect him to. He says it within the first 20 seconds of The Runner-Up, a four-part documentary premiering on the Esquire network April 7 about his failed bid for Congress. And he says it many, many times after that.

It’s startling the first few times you hear it, and then becomes endearing. Clay Aiken, it turns out, is not who you expect him to be.

The former second-place finisher of American Idol and your aunt’s favorite pop star is now a straight-talking, politically minded policy wonk more interested in using his microphone to shame change-indifferent career politicians and crusade for education reform and veterans’ rights. And he’s at that glorious stage of a celebrity’s career, the one that not many public personas actually get to.

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gonna' admit it... I love Clay.

[Cooley Hurd]

1. I like him too. He's very real and, from all accounts, kind-hearted...

We need more Clay Aiken's in the world, and less Tom Cottons...

[tridim]

2. He seems like a good guy. People like him should be elected more often.

[tularetom]

3. You mean the guy who bad mouthed Obama during his congressional campaign?

Sorry, I'm not about to take him seriously.

He made a blatant appeal to the redneck demographic by trashing a black Democratic president. And miscalculated.

Screw him.

[msongs]

4. he made racist comments about obama? first time Ive heard this nt

[tularetom]

5. I never said he made any overtly racist comments but there were some wink wink nudge nudge things

And certainly an attempt to distance himself from Obama.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/idol-worship/bill-maher-skewers-clay-aiken-745600

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2014/05/21/aiken-buck-has-to-stop-with-obama-on-va/

Here he was served a big fat softball "Do you think Obama has been a good president?", and refused to respond.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/28/magazine/clay-aiken-takes-lessons-from-american-idol-to-the-campaign-trail.html?_r=0

http://variety.com/2014/biz/news/clay-aiken-loses-bid-for-congress-1201348066/

He also said he didn't want Obama to come and campaign for him. In retrospect he probably should have begged the President because he got his ass kicked pretty soundly.

[OKNancy]

6. read the article. He explains it

[tularetom]

8. Oh, I know why he did it

He was running in a district full of dumbasses and he wanted to win so bad he pretended to be a dumbass himself. I guess the voters weren't as dumb as he thought they were. They knew a fake dumbass when they saw one.

So once he was elected he'd have wanted to keep getting elected, so he would have had to vote like a dumbass.

I have no respect for "Democrats" like this. And they're the only kind we get to run on here in the Appalachia of California.

[OKNancy]

7. no he didn't make racist comments. He just knew his district

Unfortunately some purists don't understand that in a redder than red district, you have to run differently.