‘The State’ takes on The State in a video about The State
The State newspaper has only been around since 1891, but this week a comedian known for wearing a pair of too-tight khaki shorts and cowboy boots while attempting to keep the community of Reno, Nevada, safe made an attempt with a group of funny friends to take on the newspaper.
Actor and comedian Thomas Patrick Lennon posted a short Instagram video, in which “The State” comedy group claimed it was first to take the name (it didn’t) back in the 1980s and then weighed in on the U.S. Senate race in South Carolina in an attempt less than a week before Election Day to boost Jaime Harrison’s bid against Republican incumbent Sen. Lindsey Graham.
“Today we found out that South Carolina’s oldest newspaper, The State, endorsed senatorial candidate Jaime Harrison,” comedian Michael Ian Black said.
(The State actually is not the state’s oldest newspaper. But, we digress.)
“From 1891, from 1988. We had it first,” comic Joe Lo Truglio said.
“We’re the actual The State, and since The State, the newspaper, endorsed Jaime Harrison, what are we going to do?” said Thomas Patrick Lennon.
They group joked about backing the “other guy,” in opposition to South Carolina’s capital city newspaper, before deciding against that and siding with Harrison, whose campaign has gotten a surprising bit of support from Hollywood celebrities, from actors like Don Cheadle and Paul Rudd and more.
The video had more than 60,000 views on Instagram Thursday night.
Harrison has forced Graham into one of the most competitive races of his Senate career, helped in large part by a slew of cash that has made one of South Carolina’s most competitive races also one of the most expensive Senate races in United States history.
Graham and Harrison will face off once more before Election Day in a final debate Friday night.
South Carolina ETV, co-hosted by the Post and Courier, will air the debate live at 7 p.m. on TV, online and its social media platforms.
This story was originally published October 30, 2020 at 8:21 AM.
