Help me think up names of fictional politicians

[Emops]

I’m writing a short story of about 10,000 words for a class, and I’ve decided to make it about a presidential campaign (maybe the ’08 one, although I doubt I'll specify it). Think “Primary Colors,” but mine will of course have a different plot, mood, etc.

I have a lot of the characters and story fleshed out, but I can’t think what to name the two major candidates. Neither one of them is really a main character in the story, but they are obviously referred to very often.

Here’s some of the background:

Democrat:
-Senator from either Washington or Oregon (haven’t decided which)
-Age range, mid-60’s
-Awkward campaigner (kind of an amalgam of Gore and Kerry)

Republican:
-Governor of Idaho
-In his late 40’s to early 50’s
-Smarter than Bush, friendlier than Cheney, but more of a right wing nut than either of them (scary, huh?)

As far as their names go, I want something plausible but not too bland. Nothing as strange as “Lauch Faircloth” or “Saxby Chambliss,” but nothing as dull as “Tim Johnson” or “Brad Henry.”

As an incentive, I’ll name a minor character after those who come up with the best names. Sound exciting? No? Well, help me out anyway, please? I’ll post it on DU or somewhere else so you can read it once I’m finished. If it turns out really good, I might submit it to my school’s literary magazine.

[SCDem]

1. Possible names

name of Dem Candidate - Virgil Brenner


Republican - Wayne R. Wainwright

[underpants]

2. Springfield Kur (D) and Leslie Binghinton (R)

[Jack Rabbit]

3. I'll bite

The Democrat probably ought to have a somewhat colorless name. I like Jerry as a first name for a dull campainger, since I remember when Jerry Ford was President and Jerry Brown was Governor of California, neither of whom I rated high as public speaker. There was once a country/pop singer named Jerry Reed; I didn't think much of him as an artist. That's a name that might work.

The Republican needs something flashy and dynamic. Try something like Winton West.

[JohnnyRingo]

4. Craven Morehead III (R-ID)

[kittenpants]

5. Dan Tibbert (R) and Charles Levine (D)

[Emops]

13. "Chuck Levine"

I like that. Seems more Republican, though.

[candy]

6. Lance Boyle(R)

[kittenpants]

7. ha - or how about Adolf Blackheart (R)

[Spider Jerusalem]

8. Okay...

for the Republican: Frank Savage.

For the Democrat: Rudolph Westerberg (an awkward-sounding name for an awkward character...heh)

[trogdor]

9. Let me give it a go.

Gov. Richard A. Fairweather (R-ID). A real 'morning in America' type. Whiter than white, this guy wears a bow tie and barely conceals an accent from back east, Connecticut, perhaps.

Sen. Robert M. Weisswein (D-WA). Last name means "white wine". Red wine would imply more 'oomph' than you want. The name is also somewhat awkward, which adds an additional handicap. W's are pronounced the American way. Family settled Seattle from Augsburg, Germany, in the 1880's, and founded the Northwest's oldest brewery, the story of whose survival of Prohibition was melded into a best-selling novel and motion picture directed by Steven Spielberg some years ago.

[Emops]

12. Dude, I'll let you write the prequel. :)

[Earth_First]

10. Margret Grant (D) Hugh Bixby (R)

[kittenpants]

11. this is fun

I used 'Raymond Ash' as a name in a story I wrote (he was a violin-maker). It sounds vaguely democratic to me.

[davsand]

14. OK--I'll take a stab at it:

Democrat:
-Senator from either Washington or Oregon (haven’t decided which)
-Age range, mid-60’s
-Awkward campaigner (kind of an amalgam of Gore and Kerry)

I'd think about Teddy Kerrigan...

Republican:
-Governor of Idaho
-In his late 40’s to early 50’s
-Smarter than Bush, friendlier than Cheney, but more of a right wing nut than either of them (scary, huh?)

Regan Chalmers sounds like a nice WASPy sort of GOP name...



Do I win anything??? :)