Pat Paulsen
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Born Name:
Patrick Layton Paulsen
Born Date: July 6, 1927
Born Place: South Bend, Washington
Died Date: April 25, 1997
Died Place: Tijuana, Mexico
Occupations: Comedian, satirist
Brief Biography: Pat Paulsen was best remembered for his deadpan double-talk and perennial "campaigns" for President of the United States. He achieved widespread fame as a featured cast member on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour in the late 1960s.
Early Life and Career:
After graduating from high school in Mill Valley, California, in 1945, he served in the U.S. Marine Corps. Following his military service, he worked various jobs—including as a gypsum miner and Fuller Brush salesman—before beginning his career in the entertainment industry as a comedic folk singer.
The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour:
While performing in California clubs like San Francisco's Purple Onion, Paulsen met Tom and Dick Smothers. When The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour premiered on CBS in 1967, Paulsen was hired as a cast member and writer. Long before satirical news desks became a television staple, Paulsen delivered absurd, double-talking editorials on the major issues of the day.
Presidential Runs:
At the suggestion of Tom Smothers, Paulsen announced his first tongue-in-cheek run for the U.S. Presidency in 1968. His campaign was based on comedy, using sarcastic slogans like "We Cannot Stand Pat" and "We Can Be Decisive, Probably". Despite the satirical nature of his candidacy, his campaigns gained real traction, ultimately winning him an Emmy Award in 1968 and generating hundreds of thousands of write-in votes. Paulsen continued to run in subsequent presidential elections in 1972, 1980, 1988, 1992, and 1996.
Legacy:
Outside of political satire, Paulsen had a prolific stage and acting career. He starred in and produced dozens of plays at the Cherry County Playhouse in Michigan. Diagnosed with brain and colon cancer in 1995, Paulsen sought alternative treatments in Tijuana, Mexico.
Born Date: July 6, 1927
Born Place: South Bend, Washington
Died Date: April 25, 1997
Died Place: Tijuana, Mexico
Occupations: Comedian, satirist
Brief Biography: Pat Paulsen was best remembered for his deadpan double-talk and perennial "campaigns" for President of the United States. He achieved widespread fame as a featured cast member on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour in the late 1960s.
Early Life and Career:
After graduating from high school in Mill Valley, California, in 1945, he served in the U.S. Marine Corps. Following his military service, he worked various jobs—including as a gypsum miner and Fuller Brush salesman—before beginning his career in the entertainment industry as a comedic folk singer.
The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour:
While performing in California clubs like San Francisco's Purple Onion, Paulsen met Tom and Dick Smothers. When The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour premiered on CBS in 1967, Paulsen was hired as a cast member and writer. Long before satirical news desks became a television staple, Paulsen delivered absurd, double-talking editorials on the major issues of the day.
Presidential Runs:
At the suggestion of Tom Smothers, Paulsen announced his first tongue-in-cheek run for the U.S. Presidency in 1968. His campaign was based on comedy, using sarcastic slogans like "We Cannot Stand Pat" and "We Can Be Decisive, Probably". Despite the satirical nature of his candidacy, his campaigns gained real traction, ultimately winning him an Emmy Award in 1968 and generating hundreds of thousands of write-in votes. Paulsen continued to run in subsequent presidential elections in 1972, 1980, 1988, 1992, and 1996.
Legacy:
Outside of political satire, Paulsen had a prolific stage and acting career. He starred in and produced dozens of plays at the Cherry County Playhouse in Michigan. Diagnosed with brain and colon cancer in 1995, Paulsen sought alternative treatments in Tijuana, Mexico.