During the run-up to the 1976 election, a group of middle-aged musicians (including my grandfather, Crazy Rich) got to talking about how uninspired they were by the candidates running for office in Washington State. They had a range of personal political beliefs, but agreed on one thing – politics had gotten too serious and needed an injection of humor. And so, the OWL Party of Washington was born.
OWL was a double acronym standing for “Out With Logic, On With Lunacy.” The motto was “We don’t give a hoot!”
What started as a joke among a small group of friends at their bar in Tumwater, WA, quickly ballooned into a statewide political movement. The OWL Party fielded eight candidates for statewide office in 1976, led by Red Kelly for Governor, who was “for everything, and against everything else”. His yard signs simply said “Red”, in big green letters. Fun fact – my mom was the treasurer for his campaign!
If you’ve spent time in Washington State, you likely noticed the hearty sense of humor that native Washingtonians possess. Well, outside of Seattle, that is. Seattle is now pretty much California, which has become a decidedly unfunny, overly-serious state. But I digress.
Powered by this shared sense of humor, all eight of The OWL Party’s candidates placed 3rd in each of their respective races. The movement was a success, and marked quite possibly the biggest success story to ever come out of Tumwater, WA.
But, while Washingtonians laughed their way to the ballot box, the state government found itself in crisis. The OWL Party’s strong showing was seen as a threat to democracy. That it was a joke campaign was the Rainier cherry on top – something had to be done to stop this frivolous threat!
One of the first orders of business for the state legislature post-election was amending the law to make it more difficult for minor political parties to appear on future ballots. The bureaucrats had slayed the OWLs, and Washington State politics was once again devoid of fun.
Until now.
This election, and quite possibly every election until I die, I will run for office on The OWL Party’s new, constantly-evolving platform. And since I’m 35, I’ll be around for at least a few more election cycles. Stay tuned for my unconventional policy positions!
So, please follow Crazy Rick (@itscrazyrick on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter) and check out my website here for a little (emphasis on little) political comic relief mixed with other silliness. Unless, of course, you’re a serious person. If that’s the case, just stay in/move to California and leave us alone.