September 2, 2008 • Uncategorized •

Weekend Assignment #231: Candidates With a Difference

This week, Karen poses a very timely question:

Weekend Assignment #231: Over the years we’ve had a number of oddball candidates for public office, from cartoon characters to a live pig, from comedians to TV stars to an ex-wrestler. But it’s only in recent years that a candidate who doesn’t fit the usual profile can run for office and actually expect to win. Who is the most unusual political candidate you have ever supported, either seriously or in jest? Tell us about the quirky candidate back home, the comedian whose satirical platform actually made sense, the candidate who wasn’t even human, or the very real candidate who was unusual as the first X to serve as Y.

Extra Credit: Have you ever regretted voting for a candidate, in light of later events?

Looking back, it seems there’s never been a shortage of political candidates that can’t be taken seriously. If you start from the premise that anyone who wants the job is probably crazy to begin with, it’s not hard to fathom that it could go downhill from there. There have been a few elections where I was quite tempted to cast my write-in vote for “none of the above.” But since I do, for the most part, consider my vote too important to throw away, I’ve never done that, although I certainly have voted for candidates who didn’t have a chance at winning their elections. I really hope that won’t happen this November.

Having said that, though, I do enjoy a colorful candidate, and when I lived in Memphis, we had some pretty interesting local elections. You may not be aware that Jesse Ventura isn’t the only pro wrestler with political aspirations, although Memphis’ own Jerry “The King” Lawler is still active in World Wrestling Entertainment, according to his Wikipedia entry. He did take a break from his wrestling career in 1999 to run for mayor of Memphis, though; he finished third in a field of 15, with almost 12% of total votes. But he should have known better, really; Memphis already has its once and future King, thankyouverymuch.

Much further back in the field than Lawler was perpetual local candidate Prince Mongo, who runs for everything, all the time. You’d think that Mayor would be a step or two down from Prince, but that doesn’t seem to bother Mongo, a native of the planet Zambodia who claims to be over 330 years old – and doesn’t look bad for his age, if I may so – and has been here on a long-term mission to save Earthlings. Meanwhile, he keeps busy with his conceptual art, his nightclubs and property – this alien seems to do pretty well with the local currency – and getting his name on the ballot for whatever election is coming up next. He always manages to get a few votes, too.

(In full disclosure, none of those votes were ever mine. I say I lived in Memphis, but I really just worked there; I resided in its eastern suburb of Germantown, which has its own city government and much duller elections. I just cheerfully observed Memphis city politics.)

While the oddball candidates are certainly interesting, I can’t say I’ve ever seriously backed one, and I’m not sure that I ever would, even for mayor. There’s too much at stake in trying to serve the public interest, I think. What about you?
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I’m skipping Ten on Tuesday this week, but Tall Paul has a great list of “10 People (He)’d Love to Meet” – both living and not, plus honorable mentions, up at Blogenstein, so why don’t you stop by and visit him over there?

>>>Have YOU entered the Second Chance at Summer [Reading] Re-Gifting Giveaway yet? Click on that link to get the details. You’ve got until this coming Friday, September 5, to leave a comment on that post to enter (US residents only, please)!<<<

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8 comments

  1. Prince Mongo sounds like the perfect candidate; how could you not vote for him? 😉 Seriously though, I can’t think of any unusual candidates off the top of my head. I’ve seen news stories about people writing in Mickey Mouse or Donald Duck and dogs running for election, but I can’t say I remember any specifically in an election I have voted in.

  2. Literary Feline – I wouldn’t have had much to say on this assignment if it weren’t for Memphis elections. Sometimes I really miss it back there.

    And sometimes, a dog probably would be the best candidate :-).

  4. Mike – Definitely not all right in the head. But if Earth ever does get invaded by outer-space aliens, maybe we WOULD want Mongo in charge.

  5. Hooray for Prince Mongo! I was hoping someone would tell us about a real person that colorful. And I didn’t know Lawler ever ran for public office. I think of hi basically as Andy Kaufman’s co-conspirator in his least palatable series of put-ons.

  6. Karen – I think Jerry Lawler is much better known for the Andy Kaufman connection than for his brief political career. And I’m glad I could offer you Prince Mongo.