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Thursday, August 10, 2006

Cantwell Contestant for Colonizing the Cosmos

Posted by on August 10 at 14:01 PM

One or two of you might remember Michael Nelson. He’s run for public office six times in Washington, as a libertarian for governor and then as a Democrat for U.S. representative. Last fall he bagged 9.17% of the vote for King County Executive. This year, he’s challenging Maria Cantwell in the Democratic primary. This is noteworthy not because of Nelson’s electoral endurance, but because this year, he has legally changed his name to Michael Goodspaceguy Nelson. And he has two blogs.

On his blogger profile, MGN lists his interests in this order:

*Orbital space colonization
*Economics
*Raising the living standard
*Raising the quality of life
*Wisdom and knowledge

His favorite movie is Weird Science.

From the blog:

Like Martin Luther King, I also have a dream. My dream is for our human civilization to advance into our solar system by beginning with the building of small and orbiting and expandable and turning space stations.

A lot of MGN’s campaign platform is built on this crucial idea that colonizing space is necessary for solving Earth’s problems mainly the war, disease and genocide resulting from overpopulation.

I gave MGN a call and asked why he had such a dogged determination to run for various public offices. “It’s the responsibility of everybody to stand up when they see solutions to problems,” he said, “I’m trying to promote the concept of Spaceship Earth… We will realize that Spaceship Earth is too small for war to continue.”

Josh and Erica interview MGN last year in a bar (he ordered milk) and were scared by his libertarian anti-minimum wage ideals. When I talked to him today, he specifically mentioned his support for minimum wage and government jobs for all the current unemployed. Josh and Erica might find him more mainstream this year for another reason: on his blog he’s pro-density in a weird, enthusiastic sort of way.


Let’s increase housing by building up into the sky. Let’s decrease traffic and gas use by building up into the sky. Let’s encourage the building of the movie-making industry here to glorify King County.

I think printing his full name on the ballot will bring Goodspaceman at LEAST 15% of the vote.


CommentsRSS icon

Maybe he can get Stan Lippmann and Richard Lee to help with his campaign.

Good call. I've always been intrigued by the idea of forming a Lippmann Party around the sole issue of vaccinations. Who's with me?

I'm sorry, but I can't comment, I'm stuck in the line for the Space Elevator at the Seattle Art Museum Sculpture Park.

Hmm, a lot of grass here. Lots.

Anyone have something I can munch on?

You know what I don't get about these perennial gadfly candidates? Where in the hell do they get the money for the filing fees? It costs good money to file for some of these offices - about $1300 to file for King County Executive, I think it's about $1500 to file for U.S. Senator - where the hell does someone who is clearly barking mad get the money?

you just claim you're poor, then they waive the fee.

It costs good money to file for some of these offices - about $1300 to file for King County Executive, I think it's about $1500 to file for U.S. Senator - where the hell does someone who is clearly barking mad get the money?

You're operating under a false assumption - that because someone has different (okay, perhaps very different)point of view than your own he must be barking mad.

And too - $1500 is not that much money to save up.

$1500 for filing is a whole lot cheaper than any ad buy for Mike The Mover, especially when you consider that counties pay the cost of mailing it to nearly every voting-age adult in the state.

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