While searching the web you come across strange stories, many of which offer some small amount of humor or a fleeting idea. I was surprised when one such story began to snowball down a media mountain, “John Mellencamp for Senate.” This simple and almost far fetched proposal quickly gained steam, receiving mentions in People.com, CNN, and MSNBC.

The idea came about after Senator Evan Bayh of Indiana announced that he would not seek a third term in the 2010 election and talk began surfacing on a Talking Points Memo comment board that the rocker would make a good replacement. John Mellencamp, a native son of Indiana, hasn’t denied nor supported the claim, but it wouldn’t be the first time he had a taste for politics. Mellencamp announced that he supported Barack Obama and asked the McCain camp to stop using his song “Our Country” during the last presidential election.

Supporters of Mellencamp for Senate have united on a Facebook page led by John Patterson. Below is my interview with Patterson himself, the man behind the online movement.

SR: How would you describe yourself?

JP: Living in Kansas, very much into politics, former Teamster and Railroad Workers union member,  father and grandfather,  former Congressional campaign adviser, blogger and a geek since the Commodore 64.  Former Deaniac, I am one of those who has been very pleased with our current president.

How did you hear about John Mellencamp and the possibility of him running for Senate?

A comment from regular blogger “Erica” at Talking Points Memo in the hour after Bayh announced his departure to that effect inspired me to build the Facebook page. Read the rest of this entry »