That is, if you want to vote for “Dr. Death” to be your next Congressman in suburban Detroit.
Hell, I bet he has no problem meeting the requirement of getting 3,000 signatures by July 17. That would get him on the November ballot as an independent. Per the local suburban paper, the Oakland Press:
He lives in the 9th Congressional District. The seat is held by eight-term incumbent U.S. Rep. Joe Knollenberg, R-Bloomfield Hills. Democrats currently filed to run include former Michigan Lottery Commissioner Gary Peters.
Kevorkian is still on parole, until June 1, 2009, for his second-degree murder conviction April 13, 1999 for his participation in the assisted suicide of Thomas Youk. Michigan law does not bar him from running for office.
Here’s the take on Jack’s run from the prosecutor in that case:
“I would place Jack Kevorkian’s candidacy in the same ranking with (Texas U.S. Rep.) Ron Paul’s (presidential run),” Dave Gorcyca said.
“It’s probably more of a publicity stunt. To call attention to himself is standard protocol for Jack when he doesn’t have the limelight focused on him. I would not consider his candidacy to be a legitimate one.”
First, while Jack can flock to the limelight, I think this limelight NEEDS his presence.
Second, Gorcyca shows himself to be a stuffed-shirt suburban Republican, with the dismissal of Ron Paul as well. (Not that Ron Paul isn’t a huge nutbar, but, that’s not why Gorcyca is dissing him and you know that.)
Third, Knollenberg was re-elected in 2006 with just 51.6 percent of the vote. And, the economy in Michigan has deteriorated further since then, making him vulnerable.
Could Kevorkian bring out a number of libertarian types who might not otherwise vote? Could he poach senior citizens from both parties? You betcha.
Since WTWC has a no-endorsement policy, you’ll have to read the last few grafs at my blog to know my take. (You shouldn’t be too surprised, though.)
Note: I taught a class in death and dying issues at Baker College in Michigan in the mid-1990s, during Kevorkian’s first trial.
That said, do I consider him the ideal PR person for assisted suicide? No. At one time, he may have been, but, he crossed the line in the Youk case by administering the injection himself. Even if Youk were that seriously incapacitated, surely an cyberwhiz friend or acquaintance of Kevorkian could have rigged up a way for Youk to self-inject by batting his eyelids a certain number of times.
