uneducated voters, the two candidates were popularity following his upset victory to jobs. So you see, I think out of the box like equally unknown and they simply voted for present his plans. He told a British newspaper that. It's not something a typical person enough like him. that he would create new jobs for Americans would bring up. That's something that could figuresTo wereconfound of poor his quality chances and didn’tof land look- explanation is that Green is a popular last by encouraging the manufacture of “toys of happen, that makes sense. It's not a joke.” ing himself in the Senate, prosecutors namethe first among name theyAfrican saw. Americans. Another possible Many me, especially for the holidays. Little dolls. A local sports group responded by announced that they were charging Green South Carolina voters chose the name that Me. Like, maybe little action dolls. Me in an for various crimes. It emerged that Green looked more familiar. army uniform, air force uniform, and me in image pasted over them. His Senate contend- has a long criminal record. He received 17% Green capitalized on the wave of my suit. That's something that would create er,distributing however, was miniature unimpressed. figures He with said Green’s those of the votes in the general election.

Jimmy McMillan became an international celebrity Exclusive Interview with the Man after appearing in the New York gubernatorial debate behind Today’s Most Popular Purim Shpiel in 2010. He definitely stood out with the black gloves on his hands, his unorthodox beard and dated handlebar moustache. He answered virtually every question posed to him with the identical response: Jimmy McMillan “The rent is too high!” Now McMillan is running again for mayor of New York, this time on the Republican Party ticket, and this time he will “definitely” win, he says. Zman Uncensored visited the headquarters of The Rent is Too High The Mayoral Candidate Party and was granted an opportunity to discuss for the City of New York every important issue on the agenda.

and Founder of “The Y. Lefkowitz Rent Is Too High” Party

128 | ZMAN • March 2013 ZMAN • Adar 5773 | 129 f the results of the upcoming mayoral breakfast, lunch and supper. My highest In the following days McMillan received politics. But something happened election in the City of New York rest in priority is to make sure you have a roof over many requests for interviews from major to me in Vietnam when I was criti- Ithe hands of New York voters, then a your head, food on your table and money in media stations. He even received an cally wounded. I don’t know how I fellow named Jimmy McMillan will undoubt- your pocket. Enough with political games. important endorsement from the American got mixed into the political foolish- edly be the city’s next leader. At least that’s The Rent Is Too High movement, the people ness. I’m not at all that sort of guy, what was indicated by the results of the I am representing here, cannot afford to reporters that, “If the elections would take but the nightmarish experience most recent public survey—carried out by pay rent. They are losing their jobs even as Moustache Institute. He confidently told the changed my entire thought process. none other than Jimmy McMillan himself. I speak. They cannot eat breakfast, lunch or It changed the way my mind works.” supper. Just listen”—here McMillan put his andplace they tomorrow guaranteed I would that definitely he got the win.” public- a New York tabloid since he announced last left hand to his ear—“A child’s stomach just ity heThe needed media tohad present a field hisday platform with McMillan to the Racism and the SeptemberThis was that the he firstdecided interview to run hein the granted New grumbled from hunger. Did you hear it…? public. In the end he drew 40,000 votes in York City mayoral election as the Republican You must hear it as I do. Let’s speak about the general election—enough to win a seat Ku Klux Klan Party candidate. That’s right. The party that this issue. People cannot afford to pay their in New York’s City Council but not enough to Jimmy McMillan was born on provided New York City with some of its best rent because the rent is too high.” win the gubernatorial election. December 1, 1946 in New Smyrna leaders, including Fiorello La Guardia, Rudolph Throughout the debate McMillan stuck Now McMillan is running for mayor of Beach, a town 15 miles south of Giuliani and Michael Bloomberg (granted, steadfastly to his line that rent is too high New York. And this time it’s not just for the Daytona Beach, Florida. Because he Bloomberg is no longer a Republican) is now and that is the source of all of the world’s sake of getting into the race. This time he sending us Jimmy McMillan, the popular leader problems. When he was asked how he plans to win and he has no doubt that this of “The Rent Is Too High” Party. planned to create jobs McMillan replied, time the voters will choose him. Jimmy McMillan has been in politics “Reducing rent will create three to six Why? - million jobs since there will be more cash Because… the rent is too high. tional interest in 2010. He ran in that year’s circulating in the streets, giving businesses Newsince York 1993, gubernatorial but he first race. attracted This was interna not the possibility of hiring new workers.” A Message to All New Yorkers At one point during the course of the debate McMillan acknowledged that he was appearthe first in race the McMillanpublic debate, ran in,alongside but it wasthe a “one-issue candidate,” but the reason for the day that former New York City Mayor otherthe first gubernatorial one in which candidates. he was permitted Speaking to that, he explained, was because… “The rent Ed WeKoch met passed with away. McMillan He felt at hisit was office very on to Zman, McMillan laughs to himself, “They is too high.” important to release a statement before By the end of the debate the public knew our interview, and he asked us to share it. we would make them look good….” when to expect that line, and when McMillan He wanted our readers to know that due to [theRegardless major-party of what candidates] their intentions invited uswere, so asked rhetorically, “Why?” the spectators Koch’s death his campaign was temporarily the debate proved to be a great success for answered in a loud chorus, “Because the suspended to give New Yorkers a chance to McMillan. He suddenly found himself to rent is too high!” Even Democratic candidate mourn the late mayor. be a worldwide sensation. The public had Andrew Cuomo admitted to McMillan— “Whoever wants to interview me will become so bored by the stereotypical politi- while struggling to control his urge to have to wait until tomorrow.” cal process that they enjoyed McMillan’s… laugh—that the rent is too high. Except us. We were the only journalists well, different type of performance. In the aftermath of the debate, the view- that McMillan agreed to speak to that day. In fact, McMillan occupied the seat of ers and pundits agreed unanimously that The mayoral candidate must have noticed honor, right between the two major party McMillan had emerged as the evening’s the astonishment on this writer’s face candidates. With his aristocratic beard and winner. He had listeners in stitches. because he quickly explained, “I didn’t know moustache (we promise you they are not After the debate, reporters asked McMil- that he died until this morning. I wouldn’t Purim costumes, but the real McCoy) and lan why he was wearing black gloves. He have made the interview with you if I had black gloves, he truly stood out among the explained that as a war veteran who spent known before, but this is the only interview other candidates. two-and-a-half years in Vietnam he had I am giving today.” “Let me introduce myself,” he thundered. been harmed by exposure to Agent Orange. “Did you know Ed Koch personally?” “I represent The Rent Is Too High Party. “When I get home tonight I will not be able “No,” he replied, “but I used to deliver People work eight hours a day, forty hours to breathe if I take them off,” he declared. He his sister’s mail. I was a mailman after I a week and some even hold three jobs. quickly acknowledged that, “It could be that returned from Vietnam and his sister lived Women cannot allow themselves to take it’s a psychological thing, I don’t know, but I on the block that I served. At that time it care of their children, to serve their children put them on and wear them anyway.” didn’t occur to me that one day I would be in The most popular Purim shpiel….

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