SPRINGFIELD — “The Simpsons” writer and producer Dan Greaney launched his 2028 Republican presidential campaign in New Hampshire this week at the Springfield Memorial Building, where a lone local greeted him.
It was the first stop on his “Springfield USA” tour, inspired by his work as a writer and producer of the long-running cartoon. Greaney, 62, will travel to 17 states, according to his campaign, starting with stops on Nov. 5 in both Springfield, New Hampshire, and Springfield, Vermont.
Greaney is known for writing the now-viral joke in the show’s 2000 episode “Bart to the Future” that predicted Donald Trump would become president. What was once seen as an absurd joke is now an iconic example of the show’s almost prophetic predictions.
Greaney told the Valley News that he chose New Hampshire to start the tour because of its long history of hosting the first presidential primary every cycle. “I’m enough of a New Englander and spent enough time in New Hampshire to love that tradition,” he said.
Tom Luther, 62, of Claremont, was the only attendee at the event. He used the opportunity to talk one-on-one with Greaney and share his experiences in local politics in Sullivan County.
Luther is a retired mechanical engineer and treasurer of the Sullivan County New Hampshire Republican Committee. He said he has been disappointed with his experiences meeting Republican candidates in the past. “There is no interaction at all unless they choose to create one,” he said.
Greaney said his campaign will focus on “accountability, affordability and democracy.”
“I feel like our democracy has been gravely shaken by these last few years, and the fundamental issue was money in politics, which enabled a small group of extremists to control the government for a while,” he said.
The writer and now politician shared with Luther that he decided to run for the Republican presidential nomination after seeing a photo of Trump’s second-term inauguration, where he posed with several tech CEOs.
Luther told the Valley News that he came to meet Greaney because he was curious to learn more about the writer-turned-politician after the Sullivan County committee was contacted by the campaign. He said he would need to meet with Greaney again and learn more about his stances before choosing to vote for him.
“I have literally no idea how things might work out with this guy, but you know, I’m not averse to it,” he said.
According to Greaney’s campaign website, his promises include universal healthcare and affordable housing, as well as Supreme Court reform and investments in green energy.
After the meeting with Luther, Greaney said he was “honored to talk to him, and also was educated into his perspective on New Hampshire that I hadn’t really heard before.”
Greaney said the tour was meant to raise awareness of his campaign and to understand the current needs of voters. “I need to see what people want from the next president,” he said.
The tour is expected to wrap up in Springfield, California, on Nov. 24.