American Candidate

March 15, 2006 by Andy Dehnart

American Candidate winner Park Gillespie is dropping out of the race for a seat in the House of Representatives long before the primary election because the Republican Party is supporting his opponent. The chair of the South Carolina GOP, Katon Dawson, said that Republicans are facing “a longtime, entrenched incumbent. We saw an opportunity to… continue reading

October 17, 2005 by Andy Dehnart

Two of American Candidate‘s finalists are, a year later, still involved in politics. Winner Park Gillespie is running for Congress in South Carolina, and if he wins the primary, he’d challenge Democrat John Spratt in the fifth district. However, Park is already facing opposition from his own party. The primaries are more than a half… continue reading

October 20, 2004 by Andy Dehnart

American Candidate Park plans to use fame as “a platform to witness for Christ.” Schoolteacher and evangelical Christian Park Gillespie won the title of American Candidate, but what he “feels he has really won, he says, is a platform to witness for Christ,” according to the Agape Press. Park says people need to recognize “that,… continue reading

October 12, 2004 by Andy Dehnart

conservative groups mobilized to get votes for American Candidate Park. How did conservative Park Gillespie manage to win Showtime’s American Candidate, considering the network’s primary audience probably isn’t all that conservative? Heck, even Park referred to Showtime as “arguably the most godless network on television.” The answer: Conservative groups mobilized to support him, encouraging even… continue reading

October 11, 2004 by Andy Dehnart

American Candidate is Park Gillespie. Conservative Park Gillespie defeated progressive Malia Lazu, and Park was named the first American Candidate. Shockingly, Montell Williams, perched behind a lame fake anchor desk, did not announce the number of votes cast, nor the percentage of votes that each candidate actually received. The “address to the nation” part of… continue reading

October 8, 2004 by Andy Dehnart

American Candidate concludes Sunday. Either Park Gillespie or Malia Lazu will be named the American Candidate on Sunday, as the series concludes with its 10th episode at 9 p.m. ET. The winner, selected by viewers who voted after last week’s episode, get $250K and a media appearance where they’ll “address the nation.” First conceived as… continue reading

October 4, 2004 by Andy Dehnart

Malia and Park face off during American Candidate’s last debate; Park’s VP Jim quit. The people have spoken, and by a narrow margin, they voted Lisa Witter and Chrissy Gephardt off the American Candidate ballot. Those Showtime viewers who weren’t passed out in puddles of their own vomit during the two hours voting was open… continue reading

September 24, 2004 by Andy Dehnart

with three candidates left, American Candidate turns voting over to public. Three candidates remain on Showtime’s American Candidate: Park Gillespie, Malia Lazu, and Lisa Witter. Keith Boykin, who came in first place more often than the other candidates, was eliminated after a three-way debate in Philadelphia. On this week’s episode, previously eliminated candidates will return… continue reading

August 9, 2004 by Andy Dehnart

candidates encountered racism; some resisted ID-required voting procedures. The New York Times today talks to the professional political operatives who worked on American Candidate alongside the fake candidates. Former RNC chair Rich Bond “[was] paired with Keith Boykin, a 38-year-old gay black man who worked in the Clinton White House,” but says he “worked hard”… continue reading

August 4, 2004 by Andy Dehnart

128,000 watched American Candidate. For Showtime’s Sunday debut of American Candidate, not very many people tuned in. Just 128,000 people watched the series, which is bad by itself. But to add insult to low ratings, USA TODAY points out that those numbers represent “a startling 84% drop from lead-in movie Legally Blonde 2,” which focuses… continue reading

August 3, 2004 by Andy Dehnart

Gephardt first Candidate eliminated. GLBT activist Chrissy Gephardt, one of the more well-known finalists on American Candidate, was the first person voted off the show by her fellow candidates. After only drawing 147 people to a rally, she faced off against James Strock; the other candidates’ votes for both James and Chrissy were even, resulting… continue reading

July 30, 2004 by Andy Dehnart

American Candidate debuts on Sunday. Almost two and a half years after plans for a very different show on a different network were announced, American Candidate will debut Sunday at 9 p.m. ET on Showtime. Ten candidates with varying backgrounds in politics will compete for $200,000 and a speech in front of the country. The… continue reading

July 23, 2004 by Andy Dehnart

American Candidate Chrissy Gephardt: “Who runs for president right off the bat?” As part of its interview with Chrissy Gephardt, Newsweek says that Chrissy “jumped at the chance to test her political prowess” after “her father’s press secretary told her about” American Candidate. She’s one of the candidates whose selection has been criticized, especially after… continue reading

July 14, 2004 by Andy Dehnart

Showtime finally reveals candidates. Showtime has finally hauled itself off its lazy ass and announced who the 10 American Candidates are. They’ve even updated the show’s crappy Flash web site with the information. Although we’ve known for more than a month who most of them are, and although they’ve been appearing in public for a… continue reading