Pat Paulsen

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Pat Paulsen – Life, Career, and Famous Quotes

Learn about Pat Paulsen – American comedian, satirist, and perennial “candidate” for President. His life, satirical campaigns, career on The Smothers Brothers, and memorable lines.

Introduction

Pat Paulsen (July 6, 1927 – April 25, 1997) was an American comedian and satirist best known for his deadpan humor and his long-running, tongue-in-cheek campaigns for President of the United States. His persona—equal parts political mockery and social commentary—made him a cultural icon of satire in America’s shifting political landscape of the 1960s–1990s.

In this article, we’ll explore his early life, comedic career, satirical political campaigns, legacy, and some of his sharpest quotes.

Early Life and Family

Patrick Layton Paulsen was born on July 6, 1927 in South Bend, Washington.

When Pat was about ten, his family moved to California, settling in the San Francisco area. Tamalpais High School in Mill Valley, graduating in 1945.

After high school, Paulsen enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps during the final months of World War II (although he did not see overseas combat).

He eventually studied at San Francisco City College and joined local theater and comedy groups, setting the stage for his later career.

Comedy Career & Television

Paulsen’s entry into show business came through small comedy and musical gigs. He formed a comedy trio (with his brother Lorin among others) and gradually moved into performance and television.

His big break was through The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, where he became a recurring satirical “analyst.” His persona—deadpan, absurd, politicking in mock seriousness—resonated with audiences. Emmy Award for contributions to that show in the 1967-68 season.

Paulsen also starred in his own TV show, Pat Paulsen’s Half a Comedy Hour, which aired in 1970 for 13 episodes.

On television and film, he made guest appearances in various shows (e.g. Get Smart, Monkees) and adopted his persona of “commentator” or “self-appointed candidate.”

He also invested in theater: for many summers he ran the Cherry County Playhouse in Traverse City, Michigan, staging plays and appearing himself.

The Satirical Campaigns

Probably Paulsen’s most enduring claim to fame lies in his mock presidential campaigns, which he launched (or kept alive) from 1968 through 1996.

Origins & Presentation

His first campaign began as a comedic bit on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. The premise was absurdist: a man with no real platform, answering every question with deadpan non-answers. “Picky, picky, picky.”

Despite the comedic tone, his campaigns tapped into public disillusionment with politics by underlining the absurdity of rhetoric, false promises, and political posturing.

Participation & Results

Though always symbolic, his name sometimes appeared on ballots. For instance:

• In 1992, in the Republican primary in North Dakota, he received over 10,984 votes total.

• In 1996, he placed second (with 921 votes) in the New Hampshire Democratic primary behind Bill Clinton.

He ran under slogans such as “We’ve upped our standards, now up yours,” and promised to “solve all the problems” with comedic generalities.

Impact & Critique

While never a serious contender, Paulsen’s campaigns are often interpreted as biting satire. He exposed the empty rhetoric of real campaigns by mirroring it in absurdity, thereby commenting on the nature of political promises, media spin, and public gullibility.

His repeated runs over decades turned him into a folk figure of political satire: the “also-ran” running forever to make the joke that “none of the above” is a valid political statement.

Legacy and Influence

Pat Paulsen’s legacy lies less in standalone works than in his cultural role as a satirist and commentator on American politics and media.

• Satire as mirror: He used absurdity to reflect real political excess, encouraging audiences to see through rhetoric and question the seriousness of political theater.

• Enduring persona: His image as the eternal “candidate” endowed him with symbolic value—someone who stood outside politics yet chronicled its shortcomings.

• Influence on political humor: His style anticipated or influenced later political satire (e.g., “fake candidate” routines, mock campaigns, comedic news).

• Cultural memory: Though not always front-of-mind to younger generations, he is often included in retrospectives of 20th-century American satire.

His work suggests that laughter and critique can cohabit—and that sometimes the sharpest political commentary is wrapped in a joke.

Personality, Style & Character

From accounts and his performances, one can characterize Pat Paulsen as:

• Deadpan and laconic — his comedy style relied less on exuberance and more on understatement, irony, and non sequitur.

• Observant and incisive — he held up public life and politics to ridicule, showing insight beneath the silliness.

• Persistent and consistent — he maintained his campaign persona across decades, despite changing political landscapes.

• Grounded yet playful — though he lampooned elites and institutions, he never seemed aloof; his humor often suggested a citizen’s frustration with hyperbole and spin.

These traits allowed him to remain unexpectedly relevant across decades of political change.

Famous Quotes of Pat Paulsen

Here are a few memorable lines that capture his style:

“To get to the meat of the matter, I will come right to the point, and take note of the fact that the heart of the issue in the final analysis escapes me.”

“Picky, picky, picky.” (His classic retort to critics.)

“Will I solve our economic problems? Will I ease the causes of racial tension? Will I bring a peaceful end to Vietnam? Sure, why not?” (Part of his 1968 campaign pitch.)

“A lot of people say we have to save face in Vietnam. Personally, I think we should save something a little more sensitive than face.”

These lines showcase his ability to juxtapose serious questions with absurdist or purposely vague answers.

Lessons from Pat Paulsen

• Satire can speak truth: By exaggerating absurdly, Paulsen forced audiences to confront the absurdity underlying real politics.

• Consistency of voice matters: Maintaining his persona over decades allowed him to build a symbolic presence beyond transient media cycles.

• Humor as critique, not escape: His comedy was not escapist; it engaged with weighty issues by turning them inside out.

• You don’t need to win to matter: Though he never held real office, his repeated runs and influence made him part of political discourse.

Conclusion

Pat Paulsen remains one of America’s most enduring political satirists—a comedian whose joke candidacies became vehicles for commentary on the nature of political power and public discourse. Though he never held office, his campaigns, persona, and lines achieved a kind of cultural gravity rare among satirists.