Think US politics are absurd? Brazilians elect actual clown to Congress

[JackLuis]

Addison Mitchell "Mitch" McConnell, Jr. (born February 20, 1942) the senior United States Senator from Kentucky?

No, a real Clown, not a seldom funny always negative dork.

Ever feel like the constant pomp and parade of US politics is all just completely absurd? Take heart: you're probably not from Brazil.

On Sunday, voters in South America's largest country elected to Congress a man who calls himself "Tiririca" (meaning "grumpy"), whose professional outlay includes blonde wigs, bad dancing and avoiding the written word, according to election officials.

 

[oggbashan]

Hartlepool UK elected a Football Mascot who dresses as a monkey to be their Mayor.

They re-elected him twice more. Stuart Drummond

Of course, some people think that Boris Johnston, Mayor of London, is a clown. He is certainly a successful comic.

Og

 

[ishtat]

The Hartlepool football club mascot is a monkey because 200 years ago the men of Hartlepool hanged a monkey which had escaped a sinking French ship. England at the time was at war with Napolean's France and the good men Of Hartlepool acted under the entirely reasonable apprehension that the monkey was a Frenchman. The nickname for Hartlepool football club is the Monkeyhangers.

Incidentally another very famous politician was born in Hartlepool. Robert Bruce Scottish hero and King was born there (in England) of Anglo Norman parents without a drop of Scots blood in him.

I like Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London because I met him a few years ago and he struck me as ok, However, I have higher ambitions for Boris; he was born in New York City and therefore I am hoping he will run for President.

The other thing to be liked about Boris is that his grandfather or possibly great grandfather was a former Foreign Minister of Turkey who Kemal Ataturk had shot. Somehow it gives me confidence to know that the hubris of office might be checked by knowledge of the fate of ones political progenitor.

 

[SEVERUSMAX]

In the first post-war elections, Japanese constituents (and this was AFTER women were given the vote, obviously, which makes it interesting, given the prudish way that women sometimes judge each other) elected a prostitute to their Diet (parliament).

General MacArthur, in response to horrified advisers, is said to have remarked "She obviously has a loyal clientele."

Personally, I don't care what your profession was before holding office, as long as you're not a criminal, lawyer, or worse, incumbent.