Video – “You’ve lost that centrist feeling”: Dan Helmer serenades Barbara Comstock

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
  • A Clinton Nemesis
• 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%

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.