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Tippecanoe And Carl, Too

CARL KASELL: From NPR and WBEZ-Chicago, this is WAIT WAIT...DON'T TELL ME!, the NPR News quiz. I'm Carl Kasell. We're playing this week with Tom Bodett, Jessi Klein, and Charlie Pierce. And, here again is your host, at the Music Center at Strathmore in North Bethesda Maryland, Peter Sagal.

PETER SAGAL, HOST:

Thank you, Carl.

(APPLAUSE)

SAGAL: In just a minute, Carl ratifies his very own Bill of Rhymes in our listener limerick challenge. If you'd like to play, give us a call at 1-888-Wait-Wait, that's 1-888-924-8924. Panelists, it's time for a new game. We're calling it?

KASELL: Tippecanoe and Carl, too.

(LAUGHTER)

SAGAL: You can't run for office without a great slogan, just ask President Joe "Joementum" Lieberman. Carl's going to read you some lesser known slogans. Pick the real one and you get a point. Jessi, you're up first. Filipino politician Jun Jun Sotto ran for office with a particular slogan. Was it?

KASELL: Jun Jun Sotto: Two Juns, Just That One Prostitute.

(LAUGHTER)

SAGAL: Or?

KASELL: Jun Jun Sotto: I'll Do My Best, But I Can't Promise Anything.

SAGAL: Or?

KASELL: Jun Jun Sotto: They Named Him Twice, Vote for Him Twice.

(LAUGHTER)

JESSI KLEIN: I mean anything less than all of them being real is unsatisfying.

(LAUGHTER)

KLEIN: The second one.

SAGAL: The second one was I'll do my best but I can't promise anything.

KLEIN: That feels - where is this person from again?

SAGAL: The Philippines.

KLEIN: Oh yeah, that's very typical of the Philippines, that kind of modesty.

(LAUGHTER)

KLEIN: I have no idea what I'm talking about. I'm going to just, yeah, randomly guess that one.

SAGAL: That's the one.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

(APPLAUSE)

SAGAL: Very good. OK, Charlie, this one's for you. In 2009 Josko Risa was elected mayor of a town in Croatia based on a surprising political slogan. Was it?

KASELL: Josko Risa: Hey, It's Only Croatia.

(LAUGHTER)

SAGAL: Or?

KASELL: Josko Risa: He'll Occasionally Show Up For Work.

SAGAL: Or?

KASELL: Josko Risa: All For Me, Nothing For You.

(LAUGHTER)

SAGAL: Which one was it?

CHARLIE PIERCE: Well, since I know nothing of Croatian politics, I'm going to use the one that would make me vote for Mr. Risa, which is B.

SAGAL: He'll occasionally show up for work?

PIERCE: Yes, if he promises to occasionally show up for work, I'll vote for him.

SAGAL: Sadly, it was all for me, nothing for you. And he was elected.

(LAUGHTER)

SAGAL: Says Risa: "I just told them the truth." He won in a landslide.

All right, Tom, your turn. Jim Oberweis ran for governor of Illinois in 2006 and he borrowed from a classic advertising tagline for his slogan. How appropriate for you, sir. Was it?

KASELL: Jim Oberweis: Just Do Him.

(LAUGHTER)

SAGAL: Or?

KASELL: Jim Oberweis: Got Guv?

(LAUGHTER)

SAGAL: Or?

KASELL: Jim Oberweis Is Mmmm Mmmm, Gubernatorial.

(LAUGHTER)

TOM BODETT: What was that first one again?

KASELL: Jim Oberweis: Just Do Him.

BODETT: Oh, gosh.

(LAUGHTER)

BODETT: I so want that to be the one. But I have some trace memory of the Got Guv thing actually happening. I'm going to say that. Am I hallucinating?

SAGAL: No, you are right.

BODETT: Yeah, see.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

(APPLAUSE)

SAGAL: Jim Oberweis got his money from running a family dairy company. Got Milk, Got Guv. And of course, the people of Illinois thought that was ridiculous and stupid and of course, in their wisdom, elected Rod Blagojevich instead.

(LAUGHTER) Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

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