Do you remember the OWL Party?

If you think politics are funny now, you should have been hanging out in Washington state in 1976. That's when things really got funny. That was the birth of the Owl Party. Owl stood for out with logic, on with lunacy.  

It was not by choice, but club owner and jazz bass player Red Kelly wound up being the instigator.  

It turns out that a small group of people that were hanging out at Red’s club were discussing the political situation and wondering if they could just make fun of it, Red was in the group and a funny guy, so they started spit balling the idea of a new “political” party having a great time. There was one other person at the club, hanging out by himself, paying attention. It turned out to be a reporter. 

The next day Red Kelly gets a phone call from a major news network asking about this new political party. Red was a pretty sharp guy, and so he told the reporter. Yes, they were in fact starting a new political party, the owl party and the party motto was “we don't give a hoot”. 

There's a whole lot more that you could read about the OWL Party and what all happened in that election.  

But I went through all of that to come to this point. 

On Friday, two additional Democrats have filed for candidacy for Washington State Governor. Both of them are named Bob Ferguson. That is in addition to Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson, who is also running for governor. 

According to komonews.com,
“On Friday, two additional Democratic candidates filed for governor under the name Bob Ferguson. Right wing activist Glen Morgan posted on Facebook at 4:59 p.m. Friday that he was the "volunteer campaign manager for two of the Bob Fergusons running for Governor.” 

Needless to say, the current Washington State Attorney General and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bob Ferguson is not pleased. 

We here in Washington get to begin voting in less than two months. (August 6th.) with the general election of course on November 5th and Ferguson, who is the leading democratic candidate so far is concerned about muddying the waters with these two additional Ferguson's potentially being added to the ballot. 

And this brings me back to the OWL party. 

According to the campus postrecord.com,
“Eight people filed as OWL Party candidates for various statewide offices including Red Kelly, governor; Jack “the Ripoff,” Lemon, lieutenant governor; “Fast” Lucie Griswold, secretary of state; Ruthie “Boom Boom” McInnis, auditor; Jack T. Perciful, state treasurer; “Bunco” Bob Kelly, attorney general; Don “Earthquake” Ober, commissioner of public lands; and Archie “Whiplash” Breslin, insurance commissioner.” 

I remember the family having a great time reading the Washington State Voters pamphlet. Because all these candidates were listed, including their party platform and photos. 

All because of a few people hanging out in Red Kelly's bar having a good time. 

And one clueless reporter looking for a story.

2 Democratic candidates named Bob Ferguson join WA governor's race to 'confuse voters' (komonews.com)
OWL Party - Wikipedia
Remembering the OWL party - Camas-Washougal Post-Record (camaspostrecord.com)