All sorts of bizarre things can happen during political elections. There are accusations of corruption and cheating voters, there are last minute twists and turns, and there are races that come down to just a few dozen votes. While the majority of politics can be extremely boring, there are definitely a few highlights to be seen along the way. Even lesser election years, such as this year, can play host to some truly strange tales.
One such tale came out of Minneapolis earlier today. Or course, just like the rest of the country, voters made their ways to polls throughout the city, expecting a list of relatively normal candidates for office. For the most part, everything seemed absolutely normal.
That's when voters began to notice one of the names on their ballots. It was something that many had heard before, just not in any sort of political context: Captain Jack Sparrow, pirate extraordinaire, was a serious candidate running for office in Minneapolis:
Ballot of the day. #Election2014 pic.twitter.com/p1cYLpwtGE
— Adam Weinstein (@AdamWeinstein) November 4, 2014
Many were surprised to find out that the famous pirate captain was campaigning. Few would expect a pirate to run for any sort of government position, much less county commissioner. While many likely assumed the name was simply a joke by way of a bored highschooler, strangely enough, that wasn't the case. The man named Jack Sparrow was not only a serious candidate for office, but he actually has a long history in politics.
For years, Jack Sparrow worked as part of the political process along with both Occupy Minneapolis and movements against banks foreclosing on homes. The man has a full blog, featuring accomplishments within the community and political views. It's all very in-depth, which is somewhat unfortunate: no matter how good a politician you are, no one is going to take you seriously after you change your name to Jack Sparrow.
FYI: There is a "Captain Jack Sparrow" on the ballot for county commissioner in tomorrow's election. Is his platform the Black Pearl? — Joseph Carl (@jscarl) November 3, 2014
How am I supposed to take democracy seriously when Captain Jack Sparrow was on the ballot for County Commissioner? — Christopher Bluma (@CalmHubris) November 4, 2014
"Captain Jack Sparrow" was listed on the ballot... Of course I would vote for him! — Adam Dullinger (@AdamDullinger) November 4, 2014
Why exactly Jack Sparrow changed his name to match that of a fictional pirate is anyone's guess. At the very least, it brought a smile to people's faces, but considering how many people aren't taking the name seriously, he probably won't be winning the election.
Then again, stranger things have happened. This is politics, after all...
Photo: Disney
