National Radical Meadow Party

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The National Radical Meadow Party (or the Meadow Party as it is sometimes known) was the fictional political party from Berkeley Breathed's 1980s comic strip, Bloom County.

[edit] The 1984 Election

Initially, the Meadow Party was unsure of who to nominate for the 1984 ticket. Early suggestions included Mr. Spock, John Glenn, and Erik Estrada. Portnoy later remarked that the party should have nominated Jesse Jackson and Jesse Helms for the ticket ("Let's alienate everybody!").

At caucus time, the party nominated Bloom County resident Limekiller for the office of president, and the reluctant Opus the Penguin for the office of vice president.

However, the choice of Limekiller for the Oval Office turned out to be a short-lived one, as the party dropped him from the Meadow ticket after he made an off-color remark about his campaign committee. He was replaced on the ticket by the deceased Bill the Cat.

Bill later came back to life and reappeared during the party's convention in San Francisco. Afterwards, the Meadow Party continued campaigning as usual. They even went so far as to attempt to gain endorsement from Michael Jackson. At one point, after the party's funds had become nonexistent, Milo Bloom organized a benefit concert that included groups such as Culture Club, Van Halen, and The Police.

Tragedy struck on Election Day when Bill ran off to lead a Rajneeshee Cult. The Meadowcrats lost the election.

[edit] The 1988 Election

While the results of the previous election were disastrous for the Meadow Party, the 1988 campaign turned out to be more rocky. Even the local cockroaches turned out to heckle the candidates.

Bill, who had once again been nominated for the presidency with the slogan "This year, why not the worst?", spent most of the campaign in an alcoholic coma (or, as Milo referred to it, in a "religious fervor"). This left the vice presidential candidate, Opus, to seek endorsements from special interest groups such as the NRA; the American Association of P.O.'d PTA Parents; and the United Cocaine Producers, Smugglers, Pushers and Affiliated Scum.

After receiving dead flowers from ex-lover Jeane Kirkpatrick, Bill was shaken out of his coma long enough to go on a shooting rampage using a machine gun donated to him by the NRA.

The Meadow Party spent a large portion of the campaign at the bottom of the popularity polls, ranking just behind the likes of Spuds MacKenzie, George Bush, and Gumby.

Mid-campaign, Opus was accused of being a liberal. Bloom County lawyer Steve Dallas argued Opus' case before a Senate committee, but Opus ended up being labeled a liberal anyway. The Meadow Party had no choice but to drop him from the ticket.

Shortly before Election Day, as the party was up forty percent in the polls, a tell-all book about Bill's many lives was released. This came as a sharp blow to the Meadowcrats.

Fortunately, just days before the election, Walter Mondale contacted the party and offered to join the ticket for a much-needed boost. The offer was accepted, and the Meadowcrats had a Bill-Mondale ticket.

Milo, desperate for a Meadow Party win, secretly contacted CBS News on Election Night, and tried to discredit Bush and Dukakis, but to no avail. The Meadow Party lost its final election.