Riese’s Team Pick: Jimmy McMillan for The Rent is Too Damn High Party

I’ve been ‘apartment-hunting’ ‘casually’ in Oakland this week and oh my holy mother of christ I cannot believe the insanity we pursued in New York City. Did you guys know that in other cities, you can get rooms that are like five times as big as your room in New York City for the same price?

So I am particularly amused by Jimmy McMillan, founder of The Rent is Too Damn High Party! He’s becoming internet-famous this week after his impressive showing at the gubernatorial debates. This video gives you a look:

Jimmy says a lot of amazing things, including but not limited to his position on negative campaigning: “As a karate expert, I will not talk about anyone up here, because our children cannot afford to live anywhere. There’s nowhere to go. Why? Because the rent is too damn high.”

On “transgender” and “homosexual” issues:

“[Homosexuals] are normal human beings just like me and you they were just born different.”

“THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY FOR YEARS HAS BEEN / HAVE BEEN MAKING THE DECISION WHO IS TO BE MALE AND WHO IS TO BE FEMALE IT’S TIME FOR THIS ATTITUDE IN THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY TO COME TO AN END.”

On “gay marriage”:

“The Rent Is 2 Damn High Party feels if you want to marry a shoe, I’ll marry you.”

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Riese

Riese is the 43-year-old Co-Founder of Autostraddle.com as well as an award-winning writer, video-maker, LGBTQ+ Marketing consultant and aspiring cyber-performance artist who grew up in Michigan, lost her mind in New York and now lives in Los Angeles. Her work has appeared in nine books, magazines including Marie Claire and Curve, and all over the web including Nylon, Queerty, Nerve, Bitch, Emily Books and Jezebel. She had a very popular personal blog once upon a time, and then she recapped The L Word, and then she had the idea to make this place, and now here we all are! In 2016, she was nominated for a GLAAD Award for Outstanding Digital Journalism. She's Jewish and has a cute dog named Carol. Follow her on twitter and instagram.

Riese has written 3279 articles for us.

18 Comments

  1. I would vote for this man if he truthfully had that sort of attitude. But to be honest it all seems like an elaborate prank. Funny, nonetheless.

    • yeah he has run in several elections. it kinda is for real because the position he represents — albeit humorously etc — is legitimately nyc’s #1 issue, but nobody cares to fix it b/c the system works for the people in power. Lowering rents in NYC would fix SO MUCH, but no politician cares to do so, ever.

  3. Wow, I just moved away from the east bay area in July (not my choice, my gf’s job transferred) and my first thought while looking for a place to live here was “the bay is way too expensive.” We got a HOUSE (with a yard!) down here (Southern California) for $76 less than my crappy apartment in Berkeley. New York City is worse? Ugh…

    Karate expert?! Haha!

  4. He gets my vote, if only because I have a pair of black boots I am totally in love with!
    And his beard/mustache combo is truly amazing.

  9. For the first time in years, I am accompanying my parents while they vote. This man seems to be the sanest candidate running.

  12. i would vote for him if he wasn’t an anti-semite.

    charles barron is where it’s at. the man was a black panther and wants to make CUNY tuition free, what more could a radical ask for?

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