Graham rocks the Rhubarb Tour in New Hampshire (Garrison Keillor)

Graham hams it up on a "work day"

For Florida Sen. Bob Graham, then, the timing of yesterday's show at the Meadowbrook Musical Arts Center couldn't have been better. He turned it into one of his trademark campaign "work days," setting himself apart from the rest of the presidential field by spending a few hours working backstage (and hamming it up in one cameo appearance) with the crew of A Prairie Home Companion. The sell-out crowd, many sporting stickers that touted Graham's opponent Howard Dean, ate it up.

When his moment before the crowd arrived, Graham seemed calm and happy. In a quick skit, he played himself - on location in New Hampshire with Guy Noir, a private eye made popular on Keillor's radio show. His lines weren't memorized, but his timing was good.

"Whenever you're finished in politics - and I hope it's not soon - there's a career for you in comedy," Keillor told him.

High praise indeed.



Graham tries his hand at being comedian

In his skit, Graham played, well, Bob Graham, the candidate.

Keillor played Guy Noir, private eye, who persuades Graham to go fishing, even though he is busy on the New Hampshire campaign trail.

"For some reason, I do well with fishermen," Graham, the actor, says, reading from his script while standing at a microphone like the rest of the cast.

Fishermen, reads Keillor -- "people who live on hope."

<snip>

During the 15-minute intermission, Graham coiled some microphone cords and stood at the edge of the stage, where potential supporters questioned him.

After the show, it was more of the same, with showgoers peppering him with questions on everything from abortion to special education to taxes and Social Security.



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OK, call me uncool, but I think this is charming. Who the heck claims Graham has no charisma!


Blog Graham!

Contribute to Graham for President. (Enter Laura Kinsale as your Bobcat if you want to give me credit toward my pledge to raise 1k for Bob. Thanks!)

Both of them can touch something deep in the American psyche. A longing for that little "town that time forgot." We have been abused by our shrink wrapped sound biten leaders for too long. We need a comforting figure to remind us again of who we are and where we came from.