Sean Duffy's what happens when reality TV meets the congressional policy in the northern woods of Wisconsin. He was a lumberjack athlete who was both a county district
attorney and the star of "Real MTV
in the world." Now he is making every effort to become the next Scott Brown.
Like Brown, the Republican who stunned Democrats last year, winning the seat late Senator Edward Kennedy in Massachusetts, Duffy is a conservative upstart. He goes to the House seat retire Republic Dave Obey, held by a powerful Liberal Democrats' 41 years.
In rural areas, Duffy has become a sort of celebrity candidates. One woman who recently came to hear a stump speech Duffy and pose for photos with him, giggled and said that she straightened her hair for the occasion.
Others just catch the wind tree-climbing 38-year-old night-clubs, woman-chasing antics of the 1997 season, Boston "real world". There's a video on YouTube dancing Duffy pool table in boxers
drinking beer.
"I was young," he told voters recently at Ojibwa Golf and Bowl, gatherings Chippewa Falls. "They edit in things. I do not have any children yet. If you want to know my character, look at the guys I picked. All I can do is tell you is that I did. That's where I was. This is where I stand. "
Duffy explanation has become even more important in recent years as more eyes on his campaign. His chances of winning were estimated close to zilch, when he entered the race last year, the task of the Ob. Now, as against the current wave continues to promote mid-term elections, he is considered an applicant for an open place. He drew the kind of big money and big name endorsement of national figures GOP, that he did not expect at the beginning of the race.
Duffy is expected to win the primaries in September against Dan Mielke, a farmer and self-proclaimed "
tea party" candidate, who had previously challenged the Ob and lost. Mielke tries to make hay with wild Duffy moments caught on tape, MTV, stating that reflect the "Hollywood" values. But political observers predict that Duffy, who has collected more than $ 600,000, will come out of the main challenge state Sen. Julie Lassa, the expected Democratic nominee.
Duffy would not want to go into details of the reality show, saying that does not reflect who he is. But he acknowledges that the "real world" plays an important role in his life. Thanks to MTV, he met his wife, Rachel Campos-Duffy, conservative Latina from Arizona, who appeared on the third season of the series in San Francisco in 1994. Their courtship and canoodling - during his time at the "MTV-Road Rules: All Stars" - was captured by the camera.
They continued to minor celebrity status after the show, which appears in "Wedding Video", a film-length parody of reality show is another "Real World" alum. Entry into the low-budget pseudo-about two men since marriage was a situational decision, Duffy said Wisconsin voters that he would not do today.
Nevertheless, the complications of life lived in the "reality" television was more pluses than minuses for the aspiring congressman. Duffy was cast on MTV, as a beautiful Midwestern conservative in various household of young people. Events come with the territory. Just print, which helped lead Duffy attention and support from the National Republican Congressional Committee, which can hardly conceal his joy at the fresh face.
Duffy minimizes the effect that "Real World" was on his political career. On the campaign trail, he has to shape his life now, which is much more calm. He is a champion lumberjack, and at one point he held the world record time of pole climbing. He and Rachel, who was the guest host periodic "open" and recently wrote a book about a happy homebody mom, have 6 children. In the early run for Congress was a protest against big government and Washington excesses, "he said.
"Most people told me I was crazy," says Duffy, calls himself "pro-life, pro-traditional marriage, pro gun, pro-Second Amendment" candidate in the district that Obama won in 14 points, and that has consistently supported the Ob River.
Against great odds, Duffy's a few good turns - including many national ink when Sarah Palin has supported him in connection with the anniversary of the $ 787 billion federal stimulus package, of which Ob was the lead author. The woodcutter looked prophetic, but not crazy when Obi decided last month not to run for election, saying that "bone tired." Now, Duffy was in the race rated political arbitrators draw.
"With the Ob in the race, he basically had no chance," said Kenneth Mayer, a political scientist at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. Now, he added, Duffy has been working in the moderate Democratic district, but he shot.
The nature of the reality show, with cameras trained on its subjects 24 hours a day, breeds comfort of mind that seems to help Duffy, who telegenic and reliable. His campaign material shows him in a flannel lumberjack shirt, holding one of his daughters.
Other celebrity reality the same turn, adopted the campaign this cycle. Kevin Powell - from the first "Real World", in 1992 - twice lost elections to the 10-m area of
New York and works in
this year. Will Mega CBS "Big Brother" lost in the Democratic primary for a seat in the state of Pennsylvania House.
Duffy's campaign focused on themes of human acquaintances among beginners Republican candidates this year - fiscal conservatism and his contempt for Washington. "Right now our government is obliged to $ 13 trillion national debt," said Duffy September tavern and bar owners at a meeting in a smoky bar at
the river Chippewa. "It's $ 40,000 for every man, woman and child."
In fact, it is very similar to Brown in Massachusetts, who had a history of celebrities - posing nude in Cosmopolitan magazine in his youth. Duffy expects a risky flirtation with fame
will not hold him back.
"I never thought that running for Congress," he said in a
bowling alley. "If you look at some
TV shows actually, you know that."
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