With his history as a stand-up comedian, mercilessly mocking game show host, and designated day-drinking companion to the Today Show’s Kathie Lee and Hoda, Ben Gleib’s presence among the slew of candidates vying for the Democratic Party’s nomination for president has many wondering if his campaign is some sort of elaborate joke. But he insists that’s not the reason he’s running for the highest office in the land.
“If being funny was my goal, you would be laughing a lot more,” Gleib deadpans in a telephone interview with High Times. “But we have a lot of serious things to tackle.”
Those important issues include ending corruption and the influence of big money in politics, healthcare for everyone (“because obviously,” proclaims his campaign website), legalizing cannabis, and prison reform. And while some of those topics have been familiar themes for many of his contenders, too, Ben Gleib says that he doesn’t believe the group of politicians leading the pack have what it takes to succeed in 2020.
“I’m running because I don’t think that any of the current candidates running for the Democratic nomination are offering a sure-fire way to beat Trump. I’m not convinced that any of them has a strategy that can take down the anomaly that is the orange monster who’s trying to erode everything that we hold dear in this country. He’s not a politician and so trying to beat him with politics makes no sense. It’s like trying to bring policy papers to a wrestling match.”
Take Him Down with Comedy
But if Gleib were to get the nod from the party, his experience on the comedy club circuit would help him take the president down.
“Trump is the biggest heckler in political history,” he …
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Author: A.J. Herrington / High Times
