Phillip Frye, "Prominent" Democratic McCain Supporter, Mocked by Daily Show

Yesterday, HuffPo's own Sam Stein reported on a list of "prominent Democrats and Independents" that was circulated by the McCain campaign, finding that the list was chock-a-block with people who actually had significant ties to the GOP. But the most special member of that list was left unmentioned.

That special member? Phillip Frye. The guy that most people thought of as Phillip "The Main Character From That Show Futurama" Frye, but who actually was Phillip "I'm not qualified to run our great state or have any hopes of winning an election" Frye. Or simply, Phillip "Icky" Frye, a one-time candidate for the West Virginia governorship.

And, via Wonkette/Raging Red, we also learn that Frye figured prominently in a mocking correspondent's report from The Daily Show's Rob Corddry.

Calling Icky Frye a former West Virginia gubernatorial candidate is like calling Gary Coleman a former California gubernatorial candidate. He ran as a joke. He ran for attention. He ran because the incumbent governor, Bob Wise, had been sleeping with his wife. He ran as revenge.

As Frye told The Daily Show in August 2003, he had no hopes whatsoever of winning the election and ran simply "to be a sheer nuisance to Bob Wise."

We look forward to the serious and substantive contributions Frye will make to the McCain campaign, one of which should probably be "LEARN TO USE GOOGLE MAYBE."

[WATCH.]

Comments

[kellygrrrl]

Reality is so much stranger than Fiction!

[Syco]

why do people find it so easy to attack west Virgina?

[Phylmom]

Because they are ignorant and know nothing about it.
This all started in the late 19th century as a justification for stealing West Virginia's natural resources, including coal. It continues because most Americans are uneducated, pure and simple.

[Shaddup]

And because they have a huge bullseye on their chest. Puhleeze, "What kind of moisturizer?" and he sits there and thinks about it. WTF. Come on, they make it so easy.

[christieZ]

This Davis guy is hilarious. He should have his own show on comedy central.

[MemphisBuffalo]

Is possim the state food?

[Phylmom]

Is spelling taught in the schools in Memphis?

[snarkopolitan]

I was just going to point out that the "i" and "u" are right next to each other, when I scrolled and realized I was stepping into the middle of a--dare I say, feud? about West Virginia and Tennessee. Or West Virginia and everybody else in the nation.

If there's any state that gets no respect, it's gotta be Jersey.

Stand down, West Virginia. At least people don't say you smell.
I would love to learn more about Your Beautiful State. And the first question I have about anywhere is: What Have You Got Good To Eat? Eagerly awaiting a reply. No, "Varmint" is not a good answer.

[whiskeytangofoxtrot451]

Half the comments are from the same 2 or 3 posters who just keep saying the same thing over and over again. "Stop making fun of WV! You don't know anything about us! Sob, sob."

Lighten up. I'm from PA. We've got our share of yahoos up here and take plenty of shots in the media for it, too Everyone takes their turn getting made fun of in the media. Last night was yours. Suck it up.

[MemphisBuffalo]

Yea, but none of them are running for the states highest office! We should trade statehood status with Guam or Virgin Islands.

[Phylmom]

So are you saying nut cases aren't allowed to run for office in Tennessee? I thought anyone could run for office, anywhere.

[Phylmom]

You can't even imagine. To compare the way PA gets treated to WV is like a white person saying to a black person that they don't know what prejudice is. Even Pennsylvanians make fun of West Virginians. We're sick and tired of it and I for one will speak out against it each time I see it.

[whiskeytangofoxtrot451]

We'll send you cheese to go with your whine.

[azureblue]

West Virginia!
a better name than South Ohio

[Phylmom]

I see the ignorant people bigoted toward West Virginia are out in full force again. Icky Frye got like, 3 votes. He was a joke and everyone knew it. So how does that somehow reflect on West Virginia? It doesn't - these comments reflect on you ignoramuses.

Oh, I guess it is West Virginians practicing polygamy with 13 year old girls -- oh, no wait, that's Texans. And I guess it was a West Virginia idiot who stood in the National Press Club a few days ago making ignorant comments about Obama. Oh, no, he was from somewhere else. And I suppose it's inbred West Virginians who marry their cousins. Oh, no, that's Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt.

Oh, and the dummy who said West Virginians don't know computers -- the founder and CEO of one the largest internet corporations in the world is from West Virginia.

You stupid West Virginia haters don't even know you're missing the best place in the US to live. I've lived all over this pathetic country -- you idiots can have it.

[sloan1212]

So much anger. Have you asked yourself, why? It's funny how you are fighting against sterotypes...yet you that type of logic for your argument. Very interesting stance????

[Phylmom]

Oh, and by the way, I don't see anyone pointing out that the people who look bad here are the people in the McCain campaign, not West Virginians. But no, it gets turned into one more chance to bash West Virginia. Not taking it and will keep posting until this s**t stops.

[IRepTheKing]

I don't agree with the stereotypes but... what's amazing to me is that WV will still overwhelmingly vote for McCain who says that he will not rule out having Cheney in his cabinet. CHENEY!?! Not the "grinning-­while-joki­ng-about-W­est Virginians" Cheney? Yes, that Cheney. And what did he say after making the comment? "You can say stuff like that when you're not running for re-election."

Not insulting any West Viginians' intelligence, but please pay attention in November at who they vote for. Watch and see.

[Phylmom]

How do you know West Virginians are going to vote for McCain? West Virginia is a swing state, and more likely to go for Obama than places like North Carolina that voted for him in the primary.

[littlepuffycloud]

How can McGramps 'Google' anything when he doesn't know how to use that internet thingy? He said Cindy uses it for him...uh-ooh, wonder what he'll call her for not googling. What's worse than calling your wife the c word?

[conniedogs]

The guy with the long hair looks like the guy in Scary Movie who had the deformed hands.

[Sparklez]

get outta my head lol

[Gumby123]

That guy looks more like a Obama supporter.

[Lynette]

Make up your mind, are Obama supporters elite or do they look like this? You can't have it both ways, last time they were all latte sippers today they look like cavemen...sounds to me like somebody is just grumpy looking for anything to slam Obama about even when they deal with McCain.

[99hockeyman]

No, he looks like a typical Republican nutjob supporter. Wait that is you?

[Brainspore]

The cartoon character from Futurama had a much less ridiculous haircut.

[Fentwin]

he'd have to cut his hair before he had a ridiculous "hair cut". :)

[robynuva]

OMG, how stupid are the Mc folks? No research, didn't Google the guy, didn't cross their minds that thie was going to make some talk show host's week? And these are the folks we want running the country?

[VitriolAndAngst]

Well, who could blame them? It isn't like the media wouldn't run with whatever McCain gave them and not fact check.

It is only through a freak accident, that a comedy show does more due diligence than ABC News, CNN and Fox combined.

[Phylmom]

Actually the newspapers here in West Virginia broke the story before the Daily Show. Even the Republican paper thinks the McCain campaign is a joke.

[TrevorAlan]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who got the Futurama reference.

[Syco]

greatest show ever

[StopTheBark]

The posters who have been having a field day at WV's expense reveal their own ignorance and, especially, their immense immaturity. Offhand, I can't recall a polygamist ranch or a Branch Davidian style cult in WV. If someone from the cornfields of Ohio, wheatfields of Kansas, or family-friendly streets of NY or LA can recall such; then post it here.

I've read where the worst offenders of Internet decorum are 13-14 year old girls. Very little I've seen here dispels that notion. Trolls are trolls and sarcastic snobs from second-rate states should stick to mind candy shows like those of Stewart's.

[Fotios]

I recall that people from WV have one leg longer than the other from walking on the sides of hills so much.

[jvarga]

haha

[StopTheBark]

Wow; WV is the only state with hills that causes this affliction ? Maybe you're a Flat Earther who takes the title literally. Aside from my dissing of Stewart, why don't you address the issues in my original post ? Every state in this country has people as ignorant, if not more so, than the examples picked up by the "know more than you & better than you" national (or cable-show) press.

[ErnestineBass]

That's why so many of their women are named Eileen.

[Phylmom]

Yes, the longer to kick your ass, my dear.

[wendelgee2]

Daily Show viewers understand world events more than people who read a newspaper or watch broadcast news, according to a Pew Research survey done last year.

Mind candy, my a$$.

[StopTheBark]

If you need a satirical (read:sarcastic) take on the news to "get it", then you probably also need Pew Research to tell you who knows what. If you can't think for yourself, then by all means, let Stewart and Colbert do it for you. The "mind candy" comment stands.

[supergranny]

and don't forget the ham.

[qdog112]

Hey it's a joke. Take it easy and say hi to Jethrow and Elly Mae. (and Jerry West and Randy Moss)

[StopTheBark]

This is the second recent WV "joke" that I've heard from the Daily Show. Stewart should aspire to writing a routine like Abbott & Costello's "Who's On First" if he wants to be remembered as being humorous. I don't know anyone named Jethro or Elly May; but I do know that Jerry West is a loyal Republican and that Randy Moss had enough run-ins with the law (before he left WV) to justify being locked up before he ever had a chance to have the rest of the US fawn over him. Don't characterize all West Virginians by what little you know of a handful of our embarrassments.

[Phylmom]

Sorry, Elly Mae and Jethro weren't from West Virginia.
But at least you know Jerry West and Randy Moss. How about Jennifer Garner and Mary Lou Retton. Those inbred hillbillies.

[IamPhenom]

Stop being so sensitive. I'm from Florida, and our state has been the brunt of countless jokes, especially since the 2000 election. You can't take these things so personally.

[Phylmom]

Florida is in no way shape or form abused the way West Virginia is. And West Virginians are damn sick and tired of it.

[Exit]

West Virginia at it's best.

[Phylmom]

You're an ignoramus who knows nothing about West Virginia.
Where do jerks like you come from?

[Phylmom]

Seriously, I'd like to know where you're from. Then we can talk about your home at its best.