Clik here to view.
Why can't the good TV stars feel endlessly compelled to run for office?
For those following at home, Melissa Gilbert, who played Li'l Half Pint herself on the Little House on the Prairie teevee series, threw her bonnet into the ring to run for Congress in Michigan, but withdrew her candidacy citing health concerns. The local GOP (which I can only assume is led by Nellie Oleson) contested her withdrawal from the race, which happened too late for her name to be removed in time for the primary (she won). Here's the Detroit Free Press:
A Michigan election board on Monday declined to act on the state Republican Party's request that it overturn a decision allowing "Little House on the Prairie" actress Melissa Gilbert to remove her name from consideration for a Detroit-area congressional seat.
At a meeting in Lansing of the state Board of Canvassers, representatives from both the state Republican and Democratic parties spoke regarding the decision from the Secretary of State's office allowing Gilbert to take her name off the November ballot for Michigan's 8th Congressional District.
In May, Gilbert said she was ceasing her run as a Democrat to challenge U.S. Rep. Mike Bishop, R-Rochester, due to health reasons. But as it was too late at that point to remove her name from the August primary ballot, Democratic party officials waited until after the primary — which Gilbert won as the only Democrat running — to ask for her removal and replacement on the November ballot with assistant Macomb County prosecutor Suzanna Shkreli of Clarkston.
I for one am crushed that Gilbert is ending her bid. It's sad news for bonnet-heads everywhere. Feel better, MG. Ma and Pa Ingalls would surely be rooting for you. Let's cheer up by watching the opening credits of Little House on the Prairie, which will make you feel extremely old, but you'll also probably laugh at about 37 seconds in:
Now who's the Nellie Oleson? (It's totally me.)