New York City Comptroller William C. Thompson Jr. a candidate for mayor for the largest city in America and, as revealed in an article to day in the New York Times, he is also a Trekkie. The article also reveals that he has the support of none other than the original Mr. Spock, Leonard Nimoy. Thompson joins what seems to be a growing list of Trekkie politicians.
Next Mayor of New York a Trekkie?
The article in the New York Times is titled ‘Live Long and Prosper’ Could Be His Campaign Slogan‘ Although Thompson says he does not attend conventions, the 55-year old talked about being a fan of TOS since the 60s.
You had space travel, you had planets, you had a guy like Spock, who was half human and half Vulcan, and you’re a 14-, 15-year-old kid sucking it all in…It opened up new frontiers, and it made you think.
Thompson also discussed bringing his kids to the new Star Trek movie and explaining to him how it was different:
I was telling them after the movie was over about how it was very different from the original. The graphics, the special effects; they were unbelievable. I was, like, ‘Wow, look at this stuff!’
Thompson is taking on billionaire New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. To do so he has been trying to build up his war chest and he has got some help from Leonard Nimoy. Both Nimoy and his wife attended a fundraiser for Thompson and contributed the maximum allowed ($4,950). Nimoy tells the NY Times:
Since he is in danger of being outspent, I find it logical that my contribution should elevate his financial resources to equal those of this opponent.
After hearing the story of how President Obama flashed a Vulcan salute to Leonard Nimoy, Thompson said he regretted holding back from doing the same.
For more see the NYT article.
Thompson pursues Trek DVDs in Manhattan (NY Times)
More NY area Trekkies
It is also interesting that the NY Times contacted the Mayor’s office to find out if Bloomberg was a Trek fan, he is not. Is it a sign of the Trek resurgence that the NYT is getting confirmations on candidate’s status as Trek fans? Now that President Obama has shown himself to be a Trek fan, everyone seems to want to get in on the action.
In early May the office of the Mayor of Newark, NJ. sent out a press release (w/ photo) about Mayor Corey A. Booker hosting a screening of the Star Trek movie where he tested the audience on Star Trek trivia. The release noted that Booker is a "long-time Trekkie."
Mayor Cory A. Booker inspects a Newark child’s model of the starship “Enterprise” (City of Newark)
And in April New York congressman Dan Maffei appeared on The Colbert Report and during the interview he admitted he was a Trekkie and even put on a beard to portray the Mirror Universe version of himself (which got him some good coverage in his local press).
| The Colbert Report | Mon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
| Better Know a District – New York’s 25th – Dan Maffei | ||||
|
||||
And it isn’t just the New York area. In April Minnesota House Minority Leader Marty Seifert used a Trek analogy to make a point about a bill being debated.
So seems that being a Trekkie is bi-partisan. Is being a Trek fan a new kind of political litmus test? Should the presidential debates of 2012 include questions regarding the nature of canon and the timelines in the new Star Trek movie?
Very cool Trek is in the news so much.
First!?
it’s cool to be a trekkie
Do you think Star Trek will ever be cool?
he even got the “peace and long life” right! Yes!
ITS ABOUT TIME….
Thompson should put those awful single ep dvds down and get the box sets…seriously they charging a load of $ just for 2 episodes when u can get the box sets for nearly the same price!
Paramount needs to start work on the sequel asap – like Iron Man 2….capitalise on the good vide of the first movie and all the attention/great reviews/BO its recieved and get it theatres summer 2011 (no delays and putting it back a year this time)
itd be awful it they announced it was due summer 2012 due to impending strikes or whatever…i know they gotta get the script right but they should crack on with making it asap
A Secular Humanist value system is not a bad personal philosophy for our elected leaders. It’s wild to see it shaping our way of life not just in the USA, but the rest of the world. Who would have thought?
I haven’t seen Colbert in a while. I almost forgot how hilarious that man can be! Thanks TM!
Poor Lt. Smith. Must’ve been wearing a red shirt. :-(
After the new movie, Trek fans make a considerable demographic to target.
A Trekker’s platform may include:
– Pro Space Programme.
– Supporter of Charity and Humanitarian efforts.
– Pro Science.
;-)
Bloomberg isn’t a Trekkie? Impeach him!
Wow… I live in Minnesota, and I completely missed that. Just makes me prouder to have donated to the Seifert campaign!
(Even though that was a *painful* delivery. :P)
I wish Wisconsin senators were that cool!
It is so awesome to be a Trekkie…my friends we’ve come home!…
TREK IS COOL!!!!
1
Always was to me.
Evidently Minnesota House Minority Leader Marty Seifert didn’t watch the old show much. Kirk always beamed down.
It’s good to see that trek is cool again!
And what is that trek?:WE ARE STILL HERE!; & doing rather well thank-you-very-much!
Kool. Mr Thompson is one of us. How kool is that. i say if a canadate is to be taken seriously then they should be Trek Fans.Ny Congressman Dan Maffei is kool. He is apart of the Terran Empire and if you mees with him he will make sure you get the Agoniser Booth for not justt 24 or 48 hours but for an entire week. My kind of guy. Long live the Terran Empire!!!!
11. Valar1 – June 16, 2009
Bloomberg isn’t a Trekkie? Impeach him!
I second that Notion. Inpeach!!! Inpeach!!!!! Inpeach!!!!!
Colbert is a crazy guy, he even had JJ Abrams on his show right when the Trek movie came out.
I guess the guy in Minnesota was thinking about Picard, the command officers wore red and Picard almost always stayed on the ship. I was always wondering when Riker was going to get it since he wore a red shirt.
I don’t really agree with the Minnesota guy’s position, but it was darned funny!
I to was born in Minnesota, saw my first episode there in the fall of 1968. Fell in love with the show upon watching the first time. Had to watch it at my grandparents house, My dad was a No Star wrestling fan and loved all the fakery. He’d say I could not watch it because it was all fake. It seems Star Trek is much closer to coming true than those fools in the ring really battling each other ever was.
He was still stuck in the Korean War era he was born in, and I was in the space age because on my first birthday JFK gave me and all of America one of the best gifts, when he said were going to the moon before I turn 10.
Star Trek and it’s Utopian idea of Universal free health care is a great idea, the big hassel is how do you convert from free enterprise commercial health care to free care with out losing free enterprise that America was born with. This is a big four letter word argument that needs to be envisioned some where other than here.
Simular topics had me 86ed for a month so fight this fight else where or you may be 86ed from here
guys the above article shows how Star trek can be a unifying force, with bipartisan agreement.
lets not turn this into one of those ugly yelling partisan pointless things…OK?
20 – I was always HOPING Riker would “get it.”
Looks like, with Star Trek becoming cool, more secret Trekkies can be expected to come out of their closets ;))
Yeah, because Leonard Nimoy has a clue about NYC politics. He probably only sees the democrat label and blindly throws his support, not knowing what he is talking about. Bottom line is that Bloomberg is going to win. No one can compete because Bloomberg has billions in the bank to flood the airwaves. Plus, he’s the incumbent, and hasn’t done that bad of a job. He was best in his first term though. If Nimoy even bothered, at best he sees the Republican part of Bloomberg’s candidacy, and automatically assumes evil. What he probably doesn’t know is that Bloomberg is not really a Republican. He just uses the party to get on the ballot. He’s as democrat as they come.
I doubt Nimoy knows that. Either way, unless an actor wants to run for something, actors and politics should be separate.
Not saying this as a republican or democrat, but there’s not gonna be an America left if we don’t get a strong opposition party in 2010 in Washington… Not the way Obama’s selling us up the river…
Yes, 26, cause if you have a clue about NYC politics, you’d know Bloomberg was an Independent now
#27 — too funny. Guess you missed that Bush polluted, choked, diverted and dammed up the river long before Obama got here.
Politicians of both parties just pander to the masses. Star Trek is the biggest movie of the year so far, therefore it’s in the news and if you want to tie into the positive buzz, say you’re a trekkie. If we’re honest about our political mess, It’s not because Obama is turning us into the Soviet Union, or because George Bush squandered the lives of our soldiers in a pointless war, it’s because both parties have abandoned their principles to remain in power purely for the sake of that power.
If you don’t want this to become a political debate, then why post articles where you’re just asking for it to go there? I’m sure some guy running for office in Canton, Ohio is a Star Trek fan, too, but who cares.
I live and work in New York City, and I just might vote for Thompson. I won’t be voting for Bloomberg (if he makes it to the general election) for two reasons – 1. He did an end run around a term limits law to give himself the chance at a third term, and 2. His overemphasis on the “NYC 2012” campaign, to make New York the host city for the 2012 Olympics. London won (or lost, depending on your point of view.) BTW – The store Mr.Thompson’s in is “J&R” in downtown Manhattan. And, I thought those two-episode DVDs were out of print since the season sets came out.
How opportunistic this is? Where was their “trekiness” by the time NEMESIS was around?
“.. it opened up new frontiers, and it made you think.”
Ahh, those were the days….