All Aboard the Straight Talkin’ Express!

A remnant from his 2000 presidential bid, John McCain’s campaign bus — dubbed the “Straight Talk Express” — has been tuned up and tricked out for a second attempt at political glory.  Of course, every bus needs a driver, even if he’s a fictional construct.  That’s where Billy Mires comes in.

Billy calls ‘em like he sees ‘em, complete with the unwavering myopia of a true believer.  Think Obama is the only candidate who can enact change?  As Billy points out, when President Bush is replaced by President McCain, what’ll you have?  Change, damn it.  Plus McCain will then undergo a change in title — from “Senator” to “President” — which will necessitate a change in residence, and a change-of-address form at the post office…that’s all kinds of change right there.  Need any of McCain’s other talking points spelled out for you in plain English?  Billy’s your man!

This series is driven (pun intended) by a comedic archetype that has donned a variety of guises since the dawn of storytelling.  Call it what you like — the dupe, the innocent, the mark, the sucker, the dutiful soldier, the idealist, the idiot savant — but the underlying recipe for hijinks remains the same:  Take one unwitting and wide-eyed innocent, whisk briskly into a batter of situational intricacy, and apply heat (generally in the form of moral ambiguity and/or intellectual or emotional pressure).  Within a dramatic context, the character in question is often burnt to a crisp.  In comedy, however, our hero tends to remain half-baked… with often delicious results.  From Gomer Pyle to Phoebe Buffay, from lovable Lucy to Wayne and Garth, their simple observations about life’s complexities are a reliable source of comedy gold.  Billy delivers on this front, and does so without overacting or straining for the punchline.  If anything, his matter-of-fact delivery is where he triumphs. 

The actor portraying our dogged driver is Billy Merrit — an improv maverick affiliated with the Upright Citizens Brigade in both its theatrical and televised incarnations. Meanwhile, assorted sources on the web cite Peter Koechley (formerly of The Onion, currently of MoveOn.org) as the mastermind behind the series.  The YouTube hits indicate varying popularity for assorted episodes. The earlier episodes’ average viewer counts range from 5,000 to 15,000, while more recent episodes are so far pulling in just 500-800 hits.  One episode – in which Billy explains how McCain “invented” the BlackBerry — peaked with more than 48,000 views.

The notion that brevity is the source of wit may explain why the series is bitingly funny without having to flog the dead horse it rode in on — each episode is typically under 60 seconds. There’s no shortage of political satire available at this stage in the race, but this one isn’t too far from the front of the pack. All aboard!  It’s well worth the ride.