He’s a major media figure who supports the legalization of gambling, drugs and prostitution; a left-leaning guy against “corporate welfare,” and a stand-up comic who’s been roasting politicians since Sacha Baron Cohen was in diapers. Like the Dixie Chicks, Bill Maher has been in post-9/11 celebrity purgatory and come out the other end. Now he’s finishing a documentary about organized religion with “Borat” director Larry Charles. (“I’m against it,” says Maher, simply.)
As “Real Time With Bill Maher” returns to HBO for its fifth season tonight, the talk-show host, 51, stepped into the hot seat, where he sounded off on everything from his sex life to his views on Hillary Clinton and John McCain.
WWD: Al Franken announced this week that he’s running for Senate. Have you considered doing the same, or did that idea go out the window when you said the terrorists weren’t cowards?
Bill Maher: I’d say it went out the window long before that. I’m the least electable person in the country. I would start out my campaign with the slogan “Religion is bad and drugs are good.”
WWD: Yes, you’re a famous marijuana aficionado. Have you smoked today?
B.M.: No, I never smoke during the day. Because once I smoked and I went to Price Club. It was a disaster.
WWD: Still, the idea of comedians entering politics seems to be gaining some traction. There are people who advocate Jon Stewart running for office; Robin Williams played a stand-up comic who becomes president in “Man of the Year” and the Democrats could certainly use a sense of humor.
B.M.: The Democrats have more of a sense of humor than the Republicans. But people don’t want humor. I always compare getting into the voting booth with getting on an airplane. It’s a place where people get very serious.
WWD: Did you watch Hillary Clinton announce her candidacy? Do you think she has a funny bone?
B.M.: Yes, I do. I think there is a human being there in Hillary Clinton. And I like her. I just don’t think she’s electable.
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WWD: You think Barack Obama is more electable in spite of his age and perceived lack of experience?
B.M.: I don’t think people care about that. They obviously didn’t with Bush. He was governor of Texas for a few years. That’s like being a Kentucky colonel. It’s mostly an honorary position. I think the legislature meets, like, two weeks a year. The rest of the time, they have barbecues.
WWD: Does your job get harder now that the Democrats are back in control of the House and the Senate?
B.M.: Yes, somewhat. And everything’s going to be harder after George Bush. When you’ve enjoyed President Charles in Charge for six years, you are spoiled.
WWD: But I would imagine it also becomes more difficult because there’s something less authoritative about the Democrats, and comedians are all about poking fun at authority.
B.M.: Yes. I used to say the difference between the Democrats and the Republicans is that the Democrats were bought off by a slightly less scary group of special interests. That’s still true. But they are still bought off by a group of special interests. So they do need to have their feet held to the fire. And they have other problems, like not standing up for what they believe in.
WWD: Are you following the Scooter Libby trial?
B.M.: Well, the minutia of who knew what, when is eye glazing, which, of course, is what the Republicans always count on. But what we’re learning is that they were very, very busy creating fictional reasons to go to war. They were so busy creating fictional reasons to go to war, they couldn’t even remember who they were lying to.
WWD: But the flip side does seem to be all these Democratic senators who voted for the war and are now saying, “We were lied to!” As if there were no indications whatsoever the evidence was faulty.
B.M.: And 23 senators voted against the war. But Hillary Clinton does have a point. We didn’t know quite to the degree now what a sleazy liar Bush is. That resolution she and 77 other senators voted for gave him a badge and a gun. It didn’t say, “Go in and shoot everything in sight.” But being the cowboy he is, he went in and shot everything in sight.
WWD: You seem angry.
B.M.: Very. I’m angry that people aren’t angry. And politicians are the ones who have to pretend they aren’t angry, which is ridiculous. Howard Dean screamed once. He couldn’t be president. You hear the same thing about Hillary: “She’s too shrill.” John McCain was crucified in the 2000 election because they kept saying he was too angry to be president.
WWD: What do you think of the person McCain has become now?
B.M.: I don’t know anymore who McCain ever was. I was on his side because he’s a veteran, and anyone who’s made the sacrifice he made deserves extra consideration when they run for the highest office. But at a certain point, you have to go, “Sorry, but that was then and this is now.” I loved him when he was on a bus called the “Straight Talk Express.” But now he’s on a bus called “Let me rephrase that.” He’s like someone you went out with a long time ago and now go, “What did I ever see in him?”
WWD: Speaking of dating, are you involved with someone now?
B.M.: I have a girlfriend, yeah.
WWD: And she’s not a Playboy Bunny or anything?
B.M.: No, she’s not a Bunny. I don’t know why people confuse the term Playmate with Bunnies. There haven’t been Bunnies since the Seventies.
WWD: I only ask because this is sort of the repeated criticism of you: Why does a left-leaning guy who has smart conversations with attractive, smart women go to the Playboy Mansion to pick up chicks?
B.M.: Listen, I go to their parties. Hef’s my friend and I like women. And there’s no law that says gorgeous women can’t also be smart.
WWD: Somehow, I just don’t think that law really applies to Playmates.
B.M.: It depends. It’s like anything in life. It’s the individual. Most people who are 22 can’t hold my attention, but that’s not because they’re stupid. It’s because they’re 22.