Officially establishing himself as the candidate of urchins, Baker Street irregulars, and soot-faced ragamuffins everywhere, Bernie Sanders released a video tonight featuring an endorsement from noted Cockney chimneysweep Dick Van Dyke. Van Dyke is, of course, not the first, or the last, celebrity to back a horse in this year’s extremely fractious presidential race, but he might legitimately be the oldest: At 94 years old, he goes out of his way in the video to note that he’s Sanders’ senior by 16 years. (He also holds up a small Funko Pop of the Vermont senator, because the internet is a strange and mysterious place.)
In fact, the ad is a fairly transparent effort to court the senior citizen vote, enamored as they are with the cinematic scamps and ottoman trippers of yesteryear. (Reports that Tim Steyer has secured an endorsement from actual Dickensian character the Artful Dodger remain apocryphal as we go to press.) It’s also an uncharacteristic effort from the beloved comic actor and king of the London rooftops: Although a life-long leftist, Van Dyke hasn’t publicly stumped for a candidate since campaigning for Eugene McCarthy back in 1968. That being said, this isn’t his first effort at wading into modern political waters, having vented his frustrations with Donald Trump way back in 2016.
Of course, this being politics in 2020 and all, the reaction to Van Dyke’s endorsement of Sanders has run the gamut, from “Oh, adorable!” to “Despite years of patronizing his content, I will never look at the Diagnosis: Murder canon the same way again.” Our sole consolation here is that we’re pretty damn sure that Van Dyke will never, in however many years he has left, ever encounter any of these internet comments, because he’s got better things to do—like showing up on Cameo, for reasons presumably known only to God and himself.
96 Comments
No president of mine is going to be endorsed by an Edwardian cockney chimney sweep!
No president of mine is going to be endorsed by an Edwardian cockney chimney sweep!
just as good the second time
“Officially establishing himself as the candidate of urchins, Baker Street irregulars, and soot-faced ragamuffins everywhere,..” Hahahaaa! WUT?I keep wanting to support you, Hughes: you know – as a journalist. But WTF?And Van Dyke is being exploited because of his age? Maybe you need to be reminded that the Millennials are the ones ones who greedily slurp up ‘nostalgia’ with a spoon, a straw, their hands?At the very least, change your avatar. I don’t know who TF that is. It looks like a clown. I’m not frightened of clowns. I can’t take them seriously either,
This is a very weird and pointless comment. The opening line is clearly just a joke on Van Dyke’s role in ‘Mary Poppins’. Whether you think it’s a good joke or not is by the by, but it’s not that big a deal.Nowhere does the article say that Van Dyke is being “exploited”, just that he would appeal to older voters, which I think is true. He has that old Hollywood cache, from a time where (rightly or wrongly) people associated stars like him with a certain moral decency. Millennials may be susceptible to nostalgia, but I don’t know how many of them will respond particularly to Van Dyke, a star best known for a TV show and a movie from the 60s.And no one cares what you think of Hughes’ avatar.
I cared.
I can always count on you to write something self-righteously precious – with a big helping of “I’m brilliant,” which is why I seldom reply to your comments. But I don’t dismiss you either. Self-aggrandizement is like unappetizing fashion. It speaks for itself; in your case like the neighbor’s dog who won’t stop barking 24/7 ( because they are neglected). I hope someone will be kind to you and give you a bone.
“Maybe you need to be reminded that the Millennials are the ones ones [sic] who greedily slurp up ‘nostalgia’ with a spoon” If this doesn’t qualify as implicitly self-aggrandizing, I don’t know what does. Also, the rift between how much you think you took down lickfoot and how little you actually did is pretty hilarious.
Even if someone read “courting the senior citizen vote” as a negative somehow, it’s not. It’s just a thing politicians do and smartly so.
How long have you keep wanting to support? A lot of us gave up a bit ago.
Yes. I think maybe I’m done now. I guess we can still read without having to cheer?
I honestly can’t even figure out what the hell you’re trying to say.
Who said he was being exploited?
you’re such a dumbass
You’re really reading a lot between the lines that I don’t think is really there.
The soot faced raggamuffins part is about his character as Burt the chimney sweep in Mary Poppins?
Who said he was being exploited? Or even suggested it?
There are still people on this website who thinks that Biden will win the nomination, It’s absurd. There’s a bigger chance of Bernie not getting the nomination via a brokered convention than Bernie lacking delegates.I’ll be more shocked if they haven’t changed to Bloomberg by now.
I don’t think anyone thinks Biden has a chance any more. It’s really looking like a race between Mayor Pete and Bernie for who is going to lose to Trump. The sad truth is there just isn’t a dem candidate that has the charisma to pull in the votes to beat that asshole
Polls say differently
The polls said differently last time, too. Increasingly, polls mean fuck all.
So do people pulling opinions out of their ass on the internet
polls had hillary as a lock so meh
I mean there’s actual evidence that he is electable so
you are correct. he can be elected. He won’t be because murica is FAR worse than you’d like to believe
No sense giving up before we lose
What did the polls say last time round?
What are we basing our opinions on then?
If you’ve been reading the news, Mayor Pete has lost a lot of edge and polling suggests that the race is now between Bernie and Michael fucking Bloomberg of all people.And to be fair, Bernie is WAY more charismatic than Bloomberg. It says a lot about the sorry state of modern liberalism when the more charismatic candidates like Biden, Klobuchar and Warren are losing to a racist Republican NYC mayor with a personality of a wet blanket.
Honestly I don’t really trust polling anymore. I’ll consider Bloomberg in the race when he actually posts a primary win. Right now, to me, it’s Pete and Bernie.
The Pete supporters have slowed down for a while me and other Sanders supporters getting constant attacks by Bloomberg supporters who I’m pretty sure are bots.
Bloomberg feels very much like a rich asshole who saw how Trump got elected and decided to go with a modification of his playbook but as a Democrat. The problem, and this is a good thing, is I think most Democrats are far smarter and won’t fall for a cult of personality around “Hey I’m rich so I’m qualified”. I could be wrong. At the end of the day I will vote for the Democrat whoever it is because the alternative. To many bitter supporters of fallen candidates not voting is what caused Trump to be led elected in the first place Honestly in 2016, like many, I didn’t think it was possible Trump would be elected president and was shocked. Now four years later I don’t see how any dem can beat him, let’s hope I’m wrong again
Wat? You mean you weren’t captivated by the 1950s dreaminess of John Hickenlooper?
The recent findings that Russian groups are actively interfering in this election (again), this time supporting Sanders as well as Trump throw the calculus up in the air. They’ve apparently decided that Sanders v. Trump will be the most destructive of election combos (presumably with their help), it’s an open guess as to whether this will push things to the point he gets a nomination and has to deal with constant insinuations that NEITHER candidate earned their spot, or doesn’t get the nomination and has to deal with the constant insinuations that it’s because of the Russian interference backfiring.It’s disgusting to watch in action. Whether or not you support Sanders as a candidate, this puts the same giant asterisk next to pretty much anything relating to his election performance as Trump. I don’t agree with that, as Sanders isn’t openly inviting interference a la the Giant Fuckface, but it’s already starting to happen in stories covering the interference.
Propaganda that is only spread thru corporate media. And honestly, that industry isn’t quite as strong as they all assume. That’s why they’re panicking. It’s truly not working IRL.
Oh for fucks sake are people really buying into this nonsense about Russia interfering in Bernie’s favour? You people deserve Trump, honestly.
I’m glad your informed opinion is superior and better informed than the Director of National Intelligence. Maybe YOU should go work for Trump, you obviously have better sources and a better intelligence gathering network.
Bernie as president is the precise opposite of a good thing for Russia. The narrative that Bernie winning would be something Putin wants makes no sense, and is only ever pushed by people who are themselves working against Bernie. It’s a blatant, laughable fabrication.
You are absolutely, 100% missing the point.Bernie as a ‘threat’ to Russia isn’t important. Discrediting his potential election when the inevitable post-election investigations reconfirm the already confirmed interference is. Discrediting our ability to defend our elections, placing a second straight election in doubt as to how the outcome would have landed without the foreign interference, generally sowing discord and animosity – those are the very blatant goals.It’s insanely Trump-like to believe this is about them picking a winner. It never was. Trump got the assist before, but during the cycle there were several documented and proven cases that the Russian groups were stoking the fires on both sides – for every fake MAGA troll there was a fake Black Lives Matter troll. Clinton had Russian groups on Facebook pushing for her followers to fight harder, to refuse to accept the results, ANYTHING to work more division into the electoral cycle. It’s very likely the conclusion the national intelligence apparatus reached is correct – that they favored Trump because they understood the monster they were unleashing – but it’s WELL documented that the attack is on the country, not because they want a fuzzy friendship with an incoming President.Read some news.
I do read the news. It consistently shows that Russian interference is a wildly overblown conspiracy theory. I hope you learn to think for yourself someday, instead of just jumping on bandwagons.
OK. We’re done. Enjoy Fox and your Trumpenfueherer. You have no legitimate basis if you claim the amply proven interference – which before Trump’s election was widely recognized by both parties – is a “conspiracy theory”.Go blow your orange clown, Trumpie.
I’m sorry, how the fuck did you read anything I just said and come to the conclusion that I’m a trump supporter? Are you actually illiterate? I’m a Bernie supporter. The worms in your brain really have done a number on you havent they?
Run along little troll. You are an unintelligent person and nothing you say is worth debating.
What a typical little liberal you are. The moment anyone challenges any part of the worldview you’re so certain of, you cry troll and run away. Well, you’re the one who has to live with yourself. Gotta be a drag. I almost pity you.
I need evidence. The timing seems very convenient.
It’s a briefing from the (now departing due to telling the Orange Menace what he doesn’t want to hear) DNI. The Dems are attempting to get the underlying intelligence to examine the issue in more detail, but it’s someone with the access to pretty much ALL the information issuing the warning.
I think the real danger is the establishment media and parties becoming the boy who cried Russianbot one too many times. I think Russian election interference is real, if overblown, but what we are seeing so far is that it doesn’t matter to voters. I think there is a bigger chance of damaging trust in institutions than in Sanders.
Which is – as has been consistently stated by the intelligence community since the last election – the main goal of the Russian activities.I’m sure they’d probably prefer Trump winning over Sanders in general due to the overall damage Trump seems to love doing to the country’s institutions, but by backing multiple sides they get to damage everything – the Presidency, the electoral process, the media reporting, everything. Great Orange Menace is already jumping on this, making sure it pushes further and further into the news cycles. Anyone seriously think he won’t make this a centerpiece of his blathering should Sanders win the nomination? There are few things he’s been consistent about in messaging since winning the last election, “Russians helped the Dems, not me” is one of them. Having actual evidence showing that they DID in fact help a candidate (AND Shitface, let’s be clear even if he’ll refuse to mention that)? His worshipers already are looking for reasons to delegitimize any opposition to Orange Fuehrer. This will do nicely.
Most polls show that most voters don’t care about Russia, and Hilary Clinton calling everyone an asset has diminished its value as an attack. Trump supporters don’t need russian bots, caucus miscounts, impeachment or socialism to get excited. The distrust and division in our society is beyond any single item. No matter what, we were heading to an election fraught with doubt and conflict.
Oh, they’re already doing that. For a lot of money. Bloomberg is literally going to try and buy the party out to stop Bernie. I don’t even think he cares if he wins. In fact, probably not considering the shared agenda and benefits of the current situation and president. There are 500 super delegates designed and paid for specifically to stop the Progressive agenda. I am an active volunteer and donor because we have to get a plurality to beat Bloomberg. With so many others muddying the waters, it would be quite easy to do so.
The chance that this strategy will succeed is not insignificant. Of course, I’m eternally fatalistic about the prospect of actual progress in this country, so maybe I’m just too jaded.
OH, I feel you on that.
*majority
Say what you will about Blue Trump, at least he doesn’t have dementia. Any halfway competent organization would disqualify Biden for medical reasons. If all else fails with Bernie you can replace his heart. You can’t replace Biden’s brain.
Blue Trump will lose just by Trump stating that Bloomberg will ban your soda.
TIL Dick Van Dyke is still alive. Still don’t give a shit about a celebrity’s endorsement though.
TIL Dick Van Dyke is still alive. Still don’t give a shit about a celebrity’s endorsement though.
TIL people aren’t patient enough before hitting that publish button again
Blame Kinja. For the last several months, its been posting duplicates or more of several users’ posts, not just mine. Sometimes I’ll edit to correct a spelling and it’ll post it as a separate post as well
I remember the time he posted a picture of Jerry bathing in the nude on his instagram, and the little Van Dyke was on full display. R.I.P., Jerry.Also, it’s Tom Steyer, not Tim.
Looks less like a cockney chimney sweep and more like that greedy old banker. You know Disney should make a new Mary Poppins movie where he reprises his role as the old banker….nah never mind, that is a terrible idea and I’m glad it never happened.
DVD looks like he’s channeling his inner Howard Dean in that photo!YEEEEeeeeaaaAAAHHHHH!
Ok, Broomer
Why WHY I ASK are you not starred 600 times right now?
Comment of the fucking day
I find this delightful and I want to see more of it! Looking at you Barbara Eden! Bob Newhart let’s go!
The world waits with bated breath for the announcment of the coveted Betty White, Carol Burnett and Dawn Wells candidate endorsements.
He’s speaking to his generation, who vote
A 78 year old Socialist with a heart condition is not a viable candidate.
The current President is Donald Trump.
Fat, capitalist in reasonable health. I’ll let you guess my preference.
He’s obese with a shit diet and no exercise and something is very wrong with his brain. Dude’s losing it.
The physical/mental deterioration of the current president is under-reported, and I find it weird that it’s so ignored by the media given that we can see it happening in real time. You literally have to go back less than 48 hours to the Colorado rally, but to me the most striking example was that press conference last month (the one about the Iran business) where he was late, and when he finally came out and started speaking he was slurring his words, using incorrect words, etc. It’s like, it’s so strange that this goes unremarked upon in news reports. P.S., I heard someone make a good point this week: I guess recently Trump has also began regularly getting time wrong, i.e., he Tweets or whatever about something that happened “last week” when it was up to three weeks ago. In a person with no other evidence of decline I wouldn’t be too concerned about that, but combined with all the other stuff it’s just another Exhibit.
It’s beyond him just being a spoiled asshole, which he’s always been. Acting like an unhinged child with no filter is a terrible, but expected characteristic of him. He just doesn’t make sense and it keeps getting worse. We can’t even blame alcohol for it although the amphetamine thing seems very possible. People say no one has the right armchair analyze someone which might be generally good advice most of the time. When it’s the fucking president and he’s on tv and tweeting non-stop while representing our country and our interests it’s very different and should be very concerning. Analyze the fuck out of his actions.
Well, it’s hard to tell what’s because of cognitive decline and what’s because he’s just stupid.
If you wanna support the fascist reality show host you can, I’m just saying that viability is subjective.
He’s the only alternative until this DNC shit show gets swept of the table.
That’s President Trump’s Tinder description!
So you prefer the slightly younger guy who throws brown kids in cages and who is currently warping the entire federal government to serve him personally, to the slightly older guy who may ask you to pay a bit more in taxes to support things like healthcare and mitigating climate change.OK, then. Thanks for letting everybody know early that you’re a fuckstick.
That’s a bit myopic as the detention policy was in place two presidents prior to Trump taking office. A bit more taxes would be my part of something around 60 Trillion dollars. We’re already in hock for 20 Trillion.
the detention policy was in place two presidents prior to Trump taking office.Incorrect. Read up on Trump’s “zero-tolerance policy.” He changed the enforcement strategy, resulting in a crisis at the border and hundreds of children being lost.We’re already in hock for 20 Trillion.Anywhere from 1 to 2 trillion of that is directly the result of Trump’s tax cut and a much larger chunk came from Bush’s endless wars. The Republican party isn’t remotely fiscally conservative. They just spend money on tax breaks for the wealthy and war rather than actually helping the people who need it.
Luckily, we have more options than just old men!
I don’t think being an old man is automatically disqualifying.
The incumbent is an out-of-shape 73-year old who is one strenuous exercise away from having his own heart condition.
I usually get a kick out of the posts on this site but that headline with that picture made me laugh out loud. I really needed that today. Thank you!
Once again ageism is the last refuge of bigots. Dick Van Dyke is a national treasure and still sharp as a tack. The fact he hasn’t withdrawn into a conservative bunker mindset and is engaged with the world enough to stump for a progressive candidate (even if I don’t care for the guy) is fine in my book.
This post isn’t negative. You may not appreciate the attempt at wit, but it doesn’t say anything bad about Van Dyke or Sanders. Are you just looking for it to be ageist?
My takeaway is that it’s play on words using his chimney sweep character from Mary Poppins. Chimney sweep…sweep…broom + boomer = broomer.
I think that one of the problems with our olds is that they are too young to be from the generation that turned liberal after WW2 and Ike. DVD is from the generation that supported Kennedy and King, but our standard 70 year-old now was a Reagan voter…
I was hoping 2020 wouldn’t be like 2016 because it isn’t Democrat vs. Brand New Trump. It’s Democrat vs. President Concentration Camp. Boy was I a dummy. The same old factions are doing the same old thing. You don’t actually care about progress. You just enjoy tearing each other to pieces on the internet.
I have a theory that he actually died years ago and has just been going on momentum.
Why does Dick Van Dyck look like Wolverine in the header photo?
Vote for Bernie guv’ner.
Looking around these comments and no one’s asking the important questions, like WOT’S ALL DIS DEN?
God bless Dick Van Dyke.
I can’t be the only one thinking the timing between this and him joining Cameo aren’t a hell of a coincidence. What I’m saying is Bernie’s campaign realized they could get him to record an endorsement for like $500.