COMEDY
Comedian and ‘The Feed’ satirist Michael Hing’s Senate bid has received an eleventh-hour vote of support from a woman who knows all too well how outsider candidates can get elected.
The One Asian Party has released a video endorsement from American adult film actress, Stormy Daniels.
Ms Daniels hit international headlines in January last year when it was revealed that shortly before the 2016 American Presidential election, she’d been paid $130,000 to sign a non-disclosure agreement about an affair she’d allegedly had with US Presidential hopeful Donald Trump in 2006.
The money was paid by Trump’s personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, who stated under oath that he had paid her "in coordination with and at the direction of a candidate for federal office."
Michael Hing today shared the endorsement video online, which shows Ms Daniels praising his campaign.
“I hear you think your political system in Australia is a joke, that there’s lots of corruption? Well, we know a thing or two about that here in the US as well,” she said.
The 15 second video ends with Daniels blowing a kiss.
Keep fighting the good fight!
A watermark on the clip shows it’s from Cameo, a website that allows people to purchase bespoke video messages from their favourite celebrities.
Hing said he was thrilled with the support.
“I mean, I didn’t think she’d actually do it. Honestly, like a lot of things to do with this campaign, I just thought it would be funny and so I asked and here we are.”
A video message from Daniels costs US$250. It’s understood Hing paid for the video himself.
Lol, yeah, no, it was my own money.
The senate hopeful told The Feed there are no ‘campaign funds’.
“It’s just my credit card. People - quite rightly - aren’t exactly lining up to fund my political ventures,” he said.
Daniels is not the only additional public support. Overnight, a number of Hing's fellow comedians have released similar video endorsements.
Is Daniels just a deflection?
The One Asian Party’s big-name support comes amid mounting questions over the comedian’s political eligibility.
Hing’s candidacy was met with a wave of online support and covered by many media outlets, including appearances on The Project and articles in Junkee, Pedestrian, The Australian Financial Review and The Independent in the UK. News Breakfast host, Virginia Trioli also gave him a shoutout.
The comedian has built a campaign on crowdsourcing: first a slogan (‘Hings Can Only Get Better’), then policies (ranging from ‘shoes off inside’ to climate change).
He’s even been approached by and met with ‘the preference whisperer’, Glenn Druery, to discuss tactics for his minor party.
But it’s his employment at SBS that has remained a constant unanswered question throughout the campaign.
Hing admitted he understood there was a ‘Section 44 question’.
“But given how little work I actually do when I’m at work, my legal advice is, I should be fine. Plus, ineligibility didn’t exactly stop anyone else running in the past.
He says he’s still optimistic about his senate chances.
We’re only just getting started.
“People should check the #OneAsian hashtag, endorsements have been flooding in.”
It’s not just Stormy Daniels that’s getting behind the campaign.
The Feed can exclusively reveal that the One Asian Party has had meetings with a former federal politician.
“I’ve just had a call with a former Senator who says they’re going to try and help me sort out my finances.”
However, Hing declined to release the name of the senator.
“You will just have to wait and see!”
