The “Jeopardy” contestant looked up at the big board and said, “I’ll take “Lifelong Lessons” for $2,000.”

Host Ken Jennings read the answer: “Paying your dues.”

The elderly player hit the buzzer, smiled, and shot back: “What do you call starting at the bottom of the career ladder and working your way up?”

Jennings said, “Right,” as the audience broke into applause.

Funny thing about politics these days, the concept of running for a lower office before you reach for one higher up has lost some of its glow, not only for the office-seekers, but also for segments of the electorate.

In fact, the last thing many voters look for is a “career politician.”

The phenomenon in this state over the last decades has been a mixed bag.

Republicans picked an insurance executive, Dick Headlee, with zero government experience to run for governor against a career politician, Jim Blanchard, who promptly sent Headlee back his annuity files.

But business guy Rick Snyder bypassed running for his local school board first and, with a significant nudge from the soon-to-be first lady, Sue Snyder, he went for the big enchilada, governor, and beat a career politician in the process.

Which brings us to a guy named Francis Hill Harper, who never bought a yard sign saying “Vote for Me” for city council or anything else, for that matter.

Ah, but you’re about to see yard signs saying, “Vote for Harper for the U.S. Senate.”

Those residents who still think you need a dash of experience before you go mucking around in a job that requires more than a glowing note from your mother often ask, “How the heck do these arrogant folks get off asking for my vote when they have not paid their dues?”

Harper not only seems immune to such criticism, he carries the thing one step further by suggesting that career politicians — or “those type of people,” as he refers to them — are really part of the problem. Turns out, one of his opponents is a sitting congresswoman.

In his opening campaign video, he ignores his lack of political experience, but he does report he has two degrees from Ivy League schools, including one in the law, he owns a coffee shop in Detroit, was appointed to a commission by then-President Barack Obama, and has a picture to prove that he knows Obama, but, for some reason, he declined to reveal his biggest claim to fame: He’s a well-known network TV star.

Turns out, the Hill Harper campaign (he doesn’t use Francis) appears to be just a tad sensitive about that little fact, for fear that some opponent might run an ad wondering if you want to elect a TV actor to the most prestigious debating society in America, the U.S. Senate?

And, to prove that concern, months ago, when it was apparent he would eventually get in the Democratic primary to replace current U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, his team sent out a mammoth resume of all the boards, commissions, jobs, honors, degrees, and what all he had done to prove he was not just another pretty face. It was unclear from the document if he was ever a high school hall monitor.

At any rate, he is in this race, even though some in the party had hoped he might take a pass. And he’ll have to face a carpetbagger charge that he is not really one of us. But that’s for another day.

Hence, Michigan voters will have yet another chance to weigh in on whether they want experience or lack of same in the political arena, which in and of itself might make an interesting “Jeopardy” subject, under the category “Stupid Questions” for $2,000.