Author Topic: Left, Right, and Center (Read 13366 times)

calliaume · « **on:** May 15, 2005, 03:35:47 PM »

Had a fun time this morning reading through Wikipedia, which has bios on most of our favorite shows and personalities, and discovered a few things I didn't know before about some hosts. So, I was wondering - on the political scale of left, right, and center, where did some of our favorites fall?

Left
Gene Rayburn - Much to my surprise (because I'd never noticed), Wikipedia says he was an "unabashed liberal."
Nick Clooney - Ran for an open seat in the House of Representatives last fall as a Democrat, and lost.
Chuck Barris - Mentions attending a Clinton for President fundraiser in The Game Show King.

Right[/b]
John Charles Daly - Not positive about this, but he was a forum moderator for a conservative think tank from time to time.
Pat Sajak - Pat's political views are fairly well known, although I didn't know he was connected with Regnery publishing house.
Bud Collyer - Religious, but also pro-blacklist in the 1950s. The link is to Mark Evanier's site, which has a fascinating article about Collyer, which also includes information about Orson Bean, John Henry Faulk, Henry Morgan, and Mark Goodson. (Its about halfway down the page.)

I don't want to start a political discussion - I just think this is an interesting piece of history.

Any others?

dmota104 · « **Reply #1 on:** May 15, 2005, 04:32:34 PM »

If anyone doubted about Allen Ludden's political leanings, such doubt was erased after an ep of P+.

Click here and scroll on down to the paragraph that starts "Perhaps the most out-of-character but celebratory line for political conservatives..."

chris319 · « **Reply #2 on:** May 15, 2005, 04:33:42 PM »

Louis Untermeyer was blacklisted and several of the WML? gang got involved. Now I'll have to dust off Gil's book and reread it.

chris319 · « **Reply #3 on:** May 15, 2005, 04:44:20 PM »

[quote name=\'dmota104\' date=\'May 15 2005, 01:32 PM\']If anyone doubted about Allen Ludden's political leanings, such doubt was erased after an ep of P+.

Click here and scroll on down to the paragraph that starts "Perhaps the most out-of-character but celebratory line for political conservatives..."

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I don't see what that quote has to do with Ludden's political leanings. All he said was that Streisand was full of herself. I don't see how that puts Ludden in the same tent as, say, Pat Buchanan. At the time I don't think Streisand's political bent was widely known.

The rest of the Perfesser's speculation about replacing the ailing Ludden reminds me of another NBC game show: Fantasy.

DYosua · « **Reply #4 on:** May 15, 2005, 04:49:51 PM »

[quote name=\'chris319\' date=\'May 15 2005, 04:33 PM\']Louis Untermeyer was blacklisted and several of the WML? gang got involved. Now I'll have to dust off Gil's book and reread it.

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Mark Goodson also wrote an essay about this subject - it was called "If I Had Stood Up Earlier..." I had to read it while studying McCarthyism in American History in High School. Maybe if I remember I can dig it out and post it sometime.

chris319 · « **Reply #5 on:** May 15, 2005, 04:56:09 PM »

It's a cool high school that makes you read the writings of Mark Goodson.

dmota104 · « **Reply #6 on:** May 15, 2005, 05:00:47 PM »

This only counts because he hosted the UK's version of Greed. Jerry Springer's a democrat through and through -- as a former Cincinnati mayor, a delegate at the most recent DNC and host of a talk show on WCKY in Cincy.

byrd62 · « **Reply #7 on:** May 15, 2005, 05:58:11 PM »

I've watched Supermarket Sweep's David Ruprecht appear during a Libertarian Party Convention on C-Span, as well as hosted an infomercial for that same party during a presidential campaign.

Matt Ottinger · « **Reply #8 on:** May 15, 2005, 06:26:38 PM »

Ruprecht! I'd forgotten about him being a registered Libertarian. Nice catch, byrd!

Bob Eubanks was made to look foolish in Michael Moore's "Roger & Me". That doesn't automatically make him Republican, I just wanted to contribute to this fascinating thread.

I also agree with Chris about Ludden. He just didn't care for Streisand, it had little if anything do to with her politics.

The Pyramids · « **Reply #9 on:** May 15, 2005, 06:30:29 PM »

[quote name=\'calliaume\' date=\'May 15 2005, 02:35 PM\']Left
Gene Rayburn - Much to my surprise (because I'd never noticed), Wikipedia says he was an "unabashed liberal."
[/quote]

I'm not surprised. In the unsold "Party Line" pilot a contestant tells Gene he likes hunting. Gene says to him something like 'please don't tell me you shoot innocent creatures out of the sky.'

When Representative Gerald Ford was on the color 'WML' he said something like 'too bad your a Republcan' in jest.

This is all speculative. Regarding Dick Clark, I remember Nipsey Russell recite a poem about
how America was rapidly falling behind Japan, a typical gloomy prediction from the Left back then. W/ a wink Dick replied 'No comment.'

Once on 'Hollywood Squares' Peter Marshall once remarked that a player was from the town where the first Republican party was platform was drawn. After I saw that for the remainder of the GSN run I though I noticed Peter being keeping a bit of a distance from any Nixon remarks or jokes but it could have been my imagination. Today there is a picture of him and Bush #41 on Peter's website.

Ricahrd Dawson cracked wise about Govornor to President Reagan, and a chukle in agreement from Gene Wood would usually follow. By contarst Ray Combs was from a traditioinaly conservative state, would say 'God bless' to departing contestants and at least once flew on Air Force One w/ Bush #41.

In any event I'm being specuative about all of this and it does not proove a thing.

SRIV94 · « **Reply #10 on:** May 15, 2005, 07:57:57 PM »

For some reason, I have a vague recollection of Woolery using SCRABBLE93 as a platform for right-leaning issues (these would come out after clues had been solved). Of course, that was 12 years and 13 brain cells ago (didn't have that many to lose to begin with ;-) ), so my recollection could be hazy.

Doug -- celebrating 1200 posts (and enjoying the ride)

calliaume · « **Reply #11 on:** May 15, 2005, 08:19:19 PM »

[quote name=\'chris319\' date=\'May 15 2005, 03:33 PM\']Louis Untermeyer was blacklisted and several of the WML? gang got involved. Now I'll have to dust off Gil's book and reread it.

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Just packed it this morning; it's at the new house.

If memory serves, Goodson was pretty supportive of Untermeyer at first, and then his name appeared related to some far-left wing cause or something, and they mutually agreed he'd have to depart. I'm not sure how good a game player Untermeyer was anyway (the earliest ep I have is from 1953). In the cases of Morgan and Bean, Goodson went the extra mile for people who seemed more integral to the show.

There's a whole chapter in The Box about the blacklist, which features Morgan quoted extensively about his situation - but I've packed that one as well.

BrandonFG · « **Reply #12 on:** May 15, 2005, 08:37:34 PM »

Well I know he's not a host of anything, but could we include Governator (Rep.), given his appearances on Dating Game in the 70s? Or is that just stretching it a bit? ;-)

calliaume · « **Reply #13 on:** May 15, 2005, 08:57:23 PM »

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' date=\'May 15 2005, 05:26 PM\']Bob Eubanks was made to look foolish in Michael Moore's "Roger & Me". That doesn't automatically make him Republican, I just wanted to contribute to this fascinating thread.

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Eubanks dedicated an entire chapter of his book to the Roger & Me incident, and while he says he's put it behind him, that seems extremely unlikely.

I didn't get any feel for his political leanings one way or another from the book (I should say the advance reading copy; I got a signed copy for free last year and never sprung for the finished product); only that he liked getting paid. However, since the ARC was over 100 pages longer than the finished book (Amazon has it at 248 pages, but my copy was close to 400 - again, it's packed), I'm wondering what material from the ARC was dropped from the book.

tvrandywest · « **Reply #14 on:** May 15, 2005, 09:10:01 PM »

I will confirm the leanings of those who I've seen make public comments about their politics, but refrain from commenting on the politics I've heard spouted in private.

Goodson went to bat for several in the blacklist era. Panelist Analee says that Goodson called to ask about her politics when he saw her name in "Red Channels". She told him she was not at all politically involved and was certianly NOT a communist. She says Goodson saved her gig by standing up to the network.

Bob Eubanks is a rightwinger. Traditional values, and some of the prejudices that also accompany that political view.

Wink is "an American"!

Rayburn was an absolute rebel and as liberal as they come.

David Ruprecht and I have had several lengthy conversations about his Libertarian beliefs and his activism for the party.

Personally, I like every party - especially when the vodka is premium! ;-)

Randy
tvrandywest.com