I’ve been getting calls and emails from reporters in Ohio. Apparently Jerry Springer uses a quote from me in his new informercial which he released at a news conference today. The quote, which I offered on CNN, is: “If Jerry Springer shows up, he’ll bring all these new people to the polls. They will be slack-jawed yokels, hicks, weirdos, pervs and whatnot.” Now, what is super-exciting is that he’s apparently made T-Shirts with that quote on them as part of his campaign! I must get one.

Anyway, for the record, I completely stand by my comments.

While every single person supporting Jerry Springer may not be a perv, weirdo or slack-jawed yokel, I am at a complete loss to understand how this country’s politics would be enriched by massive voter turnout by people who consider Jerry Springer to be their dashboard saint. Voter turnout is not a good in itself, no matter what populists and demogogues claim. Springer says he’ll be bringing new voters to the polls. Well, okay. But if these people couldn’t be bothered to vote until Springer encouraged them to, maybe we were better off without them in the first place. Leave Springer’s audience out of it for a moment; I don’t think it’s a given that a surge in voting by Klansmen, black racists, pimps, or strippers-who-sleep-with-their-brothers would improve America’s politics demonstrably. And I don’t think we really need a Senator who sees nothing wrong with giving such people a nationally televised forum.

More to the point, I find it hilarious that Springer — who has made a fortune off of his exploitation of damaged and deviant people — thinks I’m the elitist (though I have no problem with being one). But I’m working from the assumption that most Ohio residents are smart enough to see through his schtick. While he actually thinks they’re dumb enough to fall for it. So once again he’s looking to exploit the little guy for his own career.