On August 31st, I noticed in The Salt Lake City Weekly that The State Governor of Utah was, “eager to discuss his love of Captain Beefheart albums and Grateful Dead concerts.”
Had Captain Beefheart become part of a political demographic, a conservative icon like Jerry Garcia? I was intrigued.
The only politician of note who had previously declared for Captain Beefheart was Czechoslovakia’s President Vaclev Havel, although even that story came from Don Van Vliet himself.
I wrote immediately to Governor Jon M. Huntsman Jr’s office in Utah to find out just how eager he might be to discuss Captain Beefheart. I included a few questions adapted from Benjamin Horrendous’ Fire Party People questionnaire and added a topical political question too. (Governor Huntsman’s fellow Republican, The State Governor of California, had only that day announced his new environmental policy in the run-up to the mid-term elections.)
Yesterday, on November 7th, the day of the poll, Governor Huntsman’s office sent me a reply. Clearly it had been decided that the Republicans in Utah would win without Captain Beefheart’s help.
Here are the questions I sent to the Governor’s office and Governor Huntsman’s personal responses to them.
When did Gov. Huntsman become a Captain Beefheart fan?
1977
How did he discover Captain Beefheart and was there a particular song which ‘made him see the light’?
“Aur Mau Bee”
What is his favourite Captain Beefheart composition?
Big Joan
Has Gov. Huntsman ever been to a Captain Beefheart concert? Where and when?
No, Sadly
Has he ever seen a Don Van Vliet painting?
Yes
Has he met Don Van Vliet?
No
Does Gov. Huntsman play any musical instrument?
Keyboards
In what order of preference would Gov. Huntsman place the Captain Beefheart albums?
#1 Trout Mask Replica #2 Ice Cream for Crow #3 Shiny Beast #4 Safe as Milk
Does Gov. Huntsman share Captain Beefheart’s ecological concerns? If so, does he have any plans to follow Gov. Schwarzenegger’s example in planning to reduce greenhouse gas emissions?
We have our own infinitives as a State
Thanks to Governor Huntsman for his time and trouble.
“we have our own infinitives”
SAID WHAT ??
is this man of admirable musical taste and lamentable political judgment taking a leaf from Dubya’s crimes against words and meaning ?
The real question is, does the whole state, with a single voice, stand behind these, thus avoiding the heinous use of split infinitives?
(he probably meant “initiatives”)