If you’re looking for someone to blame for the current state of the Democratic party, John Oliver has two people in mind: Joe and Eileen Bailey. Those are the names of a middle-class couple from Massapequa, New York, that Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer made up and has been using to guide his political decisions.
A politician making up an American to get their point across or envision their policies is nothing new. It’s a practice that’s so common, it drove a major “Veep” arc. But as Oliver outlined on Sunday’s episode of “Last Week Tonight,” Schumer’s relationship with the Baileys is shockingly in-depth. Schumer has even said that the Baileys have “guided his political life,” a sentiment that feels odd as the policies of this imagined family have drifted further to the right.
“I’m not saying that imagining a manifestation your target’s wants and needs is necessarily a bad thing,” Oliver said. “But even if you can understand the potential utility of creating a prototypical voter in your head, this goes way beyond that.”
He then outlined all of the odd quirks Schumer has given this family over the years, like Joe’s love of the New York Islanders and Eileen’s volunteer work for her church. Schumer has even determined how this couple has voted, and that’s where Oliver’s problem with this thought exercise seems to lie. Schumer has said the Baileys (once again — fake people) voted for Trump in 2016, were split between Trump and Biden in 2020 and voted for Trump 2024.
“The truth is, Schumer’s devotion to his imaginary friends may help explain why he and the Democratic party are so underwhelming in recent years. Because he seems to be focusing a huge amount on the interests of ‘the Baileys from Long Island’ while forgetting other voters actually exist,” Oliver said. “By tailoring your policies so heavily to them, you are pulling yourself to the right. And in doing so could be alienating not only the rest of your base but new voters looking for a party that speaks for them.”
Naturally, Oliver ended the segment by bringing the Baileys to life in a sketch starry Bobby Moynihan and Edi Patterson. Watch the full sketch in the video above.
