http://thehill.com/under-the-dome/running-idol-style-2007-11-08.html

Quote :

" Under The Dome Running ‘Idol’ style By The Hill Staff November 08, 2007 Hollywood and Washington executives are pursuing an “American Idol”-like television show in which contestants would seek to persuade a celebrity panel that they should be the next president of the United States. The winner of the nationwide contest would be announced after the Democratic and Republican conventions, and the show would encourage viewers to vote for its nominee as a write-in candidate next November. The “Voice Your Choice America” show is the brainchild of M. Allen Wilson, who is the president and co-founder of California-based Two Harbors Productions. Wilson said he came up with the idea amid the public’s growing dissatisfaction with President Bush and other elected officials. Two Harbor Productions is pitching its program concept to various networks and hopes to start filming in January. Wilson and fellow Two Harbor Production official Akili West suggested that the Fox network would be a perfect fit, adding that they are attempting to set up a meeting with Fox President Roger Ailes. West, a Washington, D.C. native, said the show would likely be filmed at college campuses around the country, but stressed that all contestants would need to be eligible to become the commander in chief. The Constitution states that every candidate must be at least 35 years of age and a natural-born citizen of the U.S. The show’s winner could be a well-known figure such as Al Gore, or a farmer from Idaho or a blue-collar worker from Detroit, according to Wilson and West. One of the biggest problems with the race for the White House, Wilson said, is that the younger generation is not excited about it. “The candidates don’t connect with the youth of America,” Wilson said. “Voice Your Choice America” is looking to entertain and engage young voters in the hopes they will be the political candidates of tomorrow. Wilson says he doesn’t want to stop with the presidential race, claiming that he would expand the show’s format to include gubernatorial and Senate races in subsequent years. It’s not clear who will host the show if a network picks it up. Some names that have been floated include Jerry Seinfeld, Bill Cosby, Will Smith and conservative pundit Armstrong Williams, who is vice president of Two Harbors Productions. The recent writers’ strike has boosted the chances that a reality show like this one will be green-lighted as Hollywood decision-makers struggle to come up with new content. A rotating panel of three to five celebrities will review the contestants on a weekly basis. Panelists would be activists, movie stars and journalists. As on “American Idol,” the winner would be chosen by voting viewers. Executives of the show would not bankroll the victor’s run for the presidency because that would violate election laws, Wilson said. Instead, Wilson anticipates “a grassroots effort” would be launched to promote the candidate. The show’s producers come from all races and political persuasions, West said, noting that the winner would not run as a Republican or Democrat. “Voter apathy has created this show,” Wilson said. “We’re going to be a major monkey wrench [in the race for the White House]. “When is the last time you got to pick who you wanted to be your president?” West asked. A Federal Elections Commission spokesman could not be reached for comment at press time."

11/20/2007 12:25:12 PM

oh god american idol gone political.

11/20/2007 12:28:27 PM

Quote :

"The candidates don’t connect with the youth majority of America"

11/20/2007 12:29:17 PM

It honestly would not surprise me if this were to be how our elections would work in the future.

11/20/2007 12:32:33 PM

11/20/2007 12:34:10 PM

i support any idea that creates an alternative to the republidemocraticans

11/20/2007 12:50:47 PM

Didn't FX do this four years ago?

11/20/2007 1:26:57 PM

^ Someone did, not sure if it was FX. It got canceled cause it did not comply with FEC rules.

11/20/2007 1:45:02 PM

I recall hearing talk about this prior to the 2004 election when reality TV was huge.

11/20/2007 2:06:53 PM

The good thing about this is that we'd only have to watch this piece of shit every 4 years.

11/20/2007 3:02:25 PM

^That's still too much, if you ask me.

11/20/2007 4:40:56 PM

Do we really want the people who watch shows like American Idol being the swing vote in presidential elections?

11/20/2007 5:47:59 PM

not to mention that the contestants would have to persuade a CELEBRITY panel... Bet that'd be "fair and balanced"...

On second thought, it might pull votes away from the left, so... hmmm....

11/20/2007 5:53:27 PM