In a takeoff of a much beloved bar room scene from Top Gun, Dan Helmer — a candidate for the Democratic nomination in Virginia’s 10th District — serenades Republican incumbent Barbara Comstock.
In this video, Helmer takes on Comstock across a range of vulnerabilities:
- Refusal to hold town halls with constituents.
- Political positions at odds with those of the majority of her consituents.
- Documented history of walking away from (with staffers intervening) constituents who disagree with her and seek to engage with her.
Core to Helmer’s (pretty off-key, don’t quit your day job) singing is Comstock’s bizarre holding of a “moderate”/”centrist” tagline (despite the fact that she votes overwhelmingly with Donald Trump). Truth is, while perhaps more polished than Donald Trump and not as fully lunatic as the extreme Tea-Party-istas, Comstock’s record is clearly far to the right of the district (see after fold). That extremism, however, has been glossed over due to Comstock’s unquestioned skills as a political operative and candidate.
In a crowded field seeking the chance to take on Comstock, Helmer’s inventive campaign style might just set him apart.
From a post during the 2016 election, as to whether Comstock aligned with her district (which is highly educated, has a high share of government workers and quite a few scientists working in government agencies), some of her record:
- Anti-funding government activity
- Enthusiastic Grover Norquist signer.
- Leading actor in GOP attacks on Clinton Administration & Democratic Party
- Anti-abortion, anti-LGBT rights, anti-equal pay, anti …
- Rated
- National Parks Action Fund: 9%
- District is home to Great Falls National Park, Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, ….
- Alliance for Retired Americans: 20%
- Defenders of Wildlife: 9%
- Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights: 0%
- Friends Committee on National Legislation: 0%
- Food Policy Action: 20%
- NARAL Pro-Choice: 0%
- Environment America: 0%
- Planned Parenthood: 0%
- Council for a Livable World: 0%
- American Civil Liberties Union: 0%
- National Parks Action Fund: 9%
See more here.
UPDATE: The video has gotten lots of buzz — with a debate as to whether ‘it is so bad, it is good’ with much grimacing over Helmer’s vocal skills. The Helmer campaign released a follow-up ad.
