Do other countries have wacky candidates running for office like America's republican candidates?

I think there was a candidate in Africa, maybe Gambia that could come close to our loons, but that was about it. Let me go look.

Care to explain why you think only Republicans have “wacky candidates?”

@CaptainHarley I just meant with the current political climate, we have the presidential candidates not looking too well and it got me thinking. I’m sure there are democrats like Perry or Santorum, but I haven’t seen them get extensive media coverage.

Hmm, let me see….....yeah sure do!

The reason we seem to have “wacky candidates” running is because the media have taught us that we should expect perfection from them ( and for some reason, in particular from the Republican candidates ). If any of them seem human like us, they are unworthy of office.

Doonesbury had a good strip on Sunday. Perry was selling bargin slots to be the regulator of your own industial group.

I’m no fan of Rick Perry, but I laughed my ass off at his recent campaign ad. It’s good when people can poke fun at themselves.

I’m sure there are “wacky” candidates all over the place, we just don’t hear about them as often.

Baby “Papa Doc” Duvalia comes to mind. Idi Amin. Jean-Marie le Pen. Jean Chretien. Silvio Berlusconi.

@WillWorkForChocolate Tha fu*k? That was pretty awesome of him.

Berlusconi wasn’t the most decorous world leader. Great Britain has had a good deal of wacko parliamentary candidates over the years.

@Blackberry Yeah, I was fairly impressed with that.

@CaptainHarley @Blackberry I think right now the reason we haven’t seen whacky Dems is because the Dems already have their candidate for President.

@WillWorkForChocolate That commercial is great. I think the Republicans and media have been awful to Perry. They lump on him like they do Ron Paul, I don’t get it.

“The Canadian Extreme Wrestling Party was formed in Newfoundland in 1999 by a group of amateur and professional wrestlers. The party is known, among other things, for choosing its leader by staging an 11-man wrestling battle royale, where the last person standing was declared the winner. Despite their bizarre methods, the party’s platform was surprisingly serious, and addressed environmental and economic issues, as well as Canada’s involvement in NATO. In 2000, the Extreme Wrestling Party ran former WWF star Sailor King Moondog White for a seat in the Canadian parliament, but finished last out of the five candidates in the race.”

“The McGillicuddy Serious Party operated out of New Zealand for several years in the 80s and 90s, where they ran under the campaign slogan: “if you want to waste your vote, vote for us.” The party was known for its bizarre methods of choosing candidates, which at different points included hand-to-hand combat with swords made out of newspaper, a water balloon fight, and a giant game of musical chairs. Their policies were even stranger, and were usually proposed in response to the platforms of the major political parties. Some campaign promises included changing the voting age to include only those under the age of eighteen, mandatory homosexuality for one third of the population, using sand as legal tender, and, of course, a promise to break all their promises.”

“Unlike most of the political parties on this list, the Union of Conscientiously Work-Shy Elements, against all odds, actually managed to win an election. The party was started as a joke by Danish comedian Jacob Haugaard, who for years used it as a platform to run satirical political campaigns for a seat in Denmark’s parliament. Although the party’s policies included absurd promises like better weather, better Christmas presents, and the right to impotency, in 1994 Haugaard received more than twenty thousand votes and managed to win a seat in parliament. He served one four-year term before retiring, but while in parliament he did manage to make good on a few of his other campaign promises, like his pledge to increase the amount of bread for ducks in the local park.”

Source

Yeah, but America is just more open about their wackiest, they’re exhibitionists and like to exploit their stupid candidates much more.

No need to go abroad. We have a wacky candidate in the White House. How could one get more wacky?

@JLeslie Lol, of course. :)

@marinelife O_O

@plethora Obama may be wacky, but every Republican candidate is at least twice as wacky. I mean, Herman Cain? Michelle Bachman? Newt Gingrich? And of course, Rick Perry????? Wow! Republicans sure know how to pick ‘em. Sometimes I think the Rs must have a secret conference somewhere where they pick out the craziest people they can come up with and pay them to run. Gotta admit, Republicans are the party of fun. I wish fun could turn the economy around. We’d be in a huge boom if that were the case.

@wundayatta Perhaps Mr. W has forgotton that both parties turn out wacky candidates at this stage of the the process….every time. That’s called politics, and it’s how we weed them out.

As much as I will be the first person to jump on several of the Republican candidates… they don’t hold a candle to some of the nut jobs across the world.

We have a lot more in common with each other than not in common. Even if we like to focus on our disagreements.

@wundayatta, yes here in Canada we sure served our time with Jean Chretien!

@wundayatta

I really worry about your mediatropism.

This round’s candidates make me face palm. Especially Gingrich, doesn’t that man know he’ll never be able to be president? I mean he reeks of scum. Then Cain comes across as a bit naive and a bit scummy. Bachmann is like a D comedy flick, just stupid. Out of all the candidates, I think those three really need to drop. Oh wait we’re one third of the way there. Can the media please rake up some old crap to remind Republicans of the scumbag Gingrich is?

@King_Pariah I think Cain suspended his campaign as of this last weekend. He said “all the media attention was affecting his family”, lmfao. No kidding, really?

Moshe Feiglin

@CaptainHarley Ah yes. I am a flower that blooms in the light of the media. But please don’t worry. I’m happy as a clam—or a hydrangea.

@WillWorkForChocolate hence the “Oh wait we’re one third of the way there.” Sorry if it wasn’t clear

@CaptainHarley I don’t think any political candidates seem like human because they’re supposed to be symbols, caricatures or what have you. They’re just mouthpieces for a different futurity that we all want (or do not want). It’s not about perfection, it’s about ideologies – all candidates are to specialize in one or two specific ideologies.

@wundayatta

Strange… you don’t LOOK like a hydrangea! : D

Yes, other countries have their special cases, but none so colourful, I think, as Jesse Ventura – or Arnold Schwarzenegger – certainly none that have reached those heights in their political careers. Oh wait, I just thought of someone; ILONA STALLER The Italian porn star who continued to make those movies even after being elceted to office. And then one wondesr how Berlusconi could be their president…

@zensky got that right! When she was running for office, Ilona Staller would be stripping on stage, in front of the press, and begin urinating on those in the front seats. Then, she would offer a prayer and a song for all the starving children in the world. This girl was a hoot!

An elected official hoot.

@zensky ”She is famous for delivering political speeches with one breast exposed”

Oh my god, I died of laughter.

Hey, she’s famous for something. Don’t “knocker” it.

@Blackberry @zensky One of the few politicians to keep abreast of the situation.

@zenvelo Zing!

I hear she’s working in silicon valley now.

Let’s see… Here’s George Galloway, a former British Labor Member of Parliament (most comparable to our House of Representatives), when he was on Big Brother.

Or Liam Fox, the (former) British Secretary of Defense, who had a “close, personal” (read: gay) relationship with an Adam Werritty, who was (is? the story’s just in the past few months) a lobbiest for an American Far Right thinktank. The scandal included financial corrupt, security leaks (Werritty didn’t have clearance, yet still had access to lots of things), Fox putting Werritty up despite being married (of course…), and my personal favorite part, the couple would wear matching outfits.

Or Anne Widdecombe, the former British MP, who’s never been married or had children. She’s a Conservative, and a member of the Conservative Christian Fellowship. When one reporter profiled her on the assumption that Widdecombe had had at least one sexual relationship, Widdecombe responded with “Be careful, that’s the way you get sued”.