Over 50 years ago, an episode of Star Trek (The Naked Time) featured the crew being infected with a mysterious disease that completely removed people’s emotional inhibitions.
I think I can now identify that virus: Trump Derangement Syndrome. Star Trek actor George Takei, who played Mr. Sulu in the TV series and several films, appears to be a long-time sufferer.
The condition has gotten so bad that the 82-year-old actor and left-wing activist indicates that he was “tempted to move to Kentucky to just run against” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
To run for Senate, a candidate is only required to live in the state that they’d represent. But defeating a career politician like McConnell would be no small task.McConnell hasn’t lost an election since unseating Walter “Dee” Huddleston for the Senate in 1984.
Hollywood’s glitterati are rushing to support Takei . . . at least on social media.
Among Takei’s supporters is Luke Skywalker — Mark Hamill — who said he’s tempted to move to Kentucky so he could vote for Takei. Finally, a “Star Wars”/”Star Trek” crossover.Henry Winkler, known as Fonzie in “Happy Days,” tweeted that Takei has his vote as well. One Twitter user even suggested a “Takei/Winkler 2020” campaign.Several Kentuckians offered lodging for Takei. Louisville resident James Gregory told the actor he has an extra room and offered“really good fettuccine Alfredo.“”Wednesday night is family movie night,” Gregory added.
And while Takei might have some fame and cachet from his acting career, McConnell appears to have a fairly significant fan base himself. McConnell’s reelection campaign has reportedly sold more than 2,000 “Cocaine Mitch” T-shirts, garnering over $70,000 for his campaign.
Roughly four out of five of the purchasers of the $35 T-shirts are first-time donors to the Kentucky Republican’s campaign, according to a report from the Center for Public Integrity.“One of the things we learned with this whole ‘Cocaine Mitch’ phenomenon is that people are really engaged,” Josh Holmes, a consultant for McConnell’s reelection campaign, told the watchdog organization. “They want content. They want merchandise.”He added that the tactic is “not something we would have done in 2014” and called it a “new and unique way to capitalize on what is now a very … vibrant online democracy that is interested in participating if you give them a reason to.”
Takei also might find Kentucky an unfriendly environment for future work, given the fact Hollywood plans to boycott Georgia for its new “heartbeat” law. The Kentucky legislature is considering a heartbeat bill this year.
In The Naked Time, Mr. Spock found the solution to the disease. Based on McConnell’s successes, Hollywood’s disdain for the heartland, and the fact most American’s don’t get their politics from Twitter, I suspect Spock would give Takei the following advice about his political plans:
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