Life, 1928-05-24 · page 5 of 38
Life — May 24, 1928 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This Life magazine page satirizes a 1928 presidential campaign joke nominating **Will Rogers**, the famous American humorist and entertainer, as an alternative candidate for "dissatisfied voters of both parties." The piece humorously argues Rogers possesses genuine qualifications: he's genuinely American, funnier than previous politicians, experienced in public service (Mayor of Beverly Hills), widely traveled, and knowledgeable about foreign affairs. The satire mocks both major parties by suggesting a comedian would be preferable to their actual nominees. The endorsement list—including Henry Ford, Babe Ruth, and Harold Lloyd—comprises genuine celebrities of the era, enhancing the joke's plausibility and satirical punch. The illustration shows Rogers lassoing what appears to be an elephant, referencing the Republican Party symbol.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
7% LIFE FOR PRESIDENT: WILL ROGERS “The Invincible Candidate of the Dissatisfied Voters of Both Parties.” —Jupce BEN B. Linpsey Ix a quiet way, we have been searching for a bunkless candidate who would run for the Presidency on an honest, cour- ageous and reasonably intelligent plat- form. An announcement of our hopes in this connection appeared in Lire last week—but long before the publication of en conduct- ing a private straw vote to ascertain whether anyone believed that such a can- didate was possible. The question which we asked was this: If you could cast aside all party prejudice, who would be that announcement we had your ideal choice for President? The answer, from a large group of representative Americans, took the form of an overwhelming majority for Will Rogers. Axo why not? Will Rogers, to begin with, is an American, Equipped as he is with a gen- crous supply of genuine Indian blood, he’s a lot closer to 100% American than are most of the people who brag about it. In the second place, Will Rogers is a humorist. If elected, he would be the first President in sixty-two years who was funny intentionally. In the third place, Will Rogers has had wider experience as a public servant than any man that has ever run for any office. Not only has he‘been mixed up in politics (he has served as Mayor of Beverly Hills, Cal., he has been desig- nated “Congressman-at-Large,” and he holds the commission of Colonel in Ken- tucky); he is also a veteran of thirteen campaigns in the Ziegfeld Follies, which is a lot more than can be said for Calvin Coolidge, Herbert Hoover, or even Al Smith. In the fourth place, Will Rogers has seen something of the world. He knows more about our foreign relations than do all the eighteen august members of the Senatorial Foreign Relations Committee. He was famous as an Ambassador of Good Will when Lindbergh was still tot- ing mail between St. Louis and Chicago. In the fifth place, Will Rogers is a good scout—and it's just about time that the people of the United States of America elected a President for no other reason than that. Tuer will be objections to Will Rogers’ candidacy. Indeed, most of the qualifica- tions mentioned above would be enough to disqualify him under the rules which usually obtain in politics. For instance: the fact that he has set foot on foreign soil, and has made friends with Englishmen, Russians, Mexicans and similar undesirables, will be used by many as a serious argument in his disfavor. The fact that he is a comedian will also hurt him, beyond all question of doubt. The American voters like to laugh at their politicians, but not with them. Judge Ben B. Lindsey, who is one of Rogers’ most ardent endorsers, says, “I started boosting him several months ago, insisting he was the only Democrat who had any chance to be elected; but friends The Following Representative Americans Have Indorsed HENRY ForD HAROLD LLoyD NicHOLAS MurRAY BUTLER Roy HowarRD GLENN H. CurtIss Will Rogers’ Nomination: JUDGE BEN B. LINDSEY BABE RUTH WILLIAM ALLEN WHITE CLARE BRIGGS GRANTLAND RICE GEN. WILLIAM MITCHELL RING LARDNER Rev. FRANCIS J. DUFFY TEX RICKARD CHARLES DANA GIBSON comicbooks.com