If a vast number of voters dislike the candidates (and the eventual victor) so much as to write in a cartoon character, the new President will have little or no political capital. He (or she) will not be able to
Washington, DC (PRWEB) June 10, 2008
Polls show record numbers of Republican voters who are dissatisfied with Sen. John McCain as the GOP's nominee for President.
A new online campaign, backed by conservatives, offers a way for them to vent their anger: write in "Mickey Mouse" for president.
Mickey has often been used as a protest vote. With the number of angry voters larger than ever before, MickeyForPresident.com says,
"If a vast number of voters dislike the candidates (and the eventual victor) so much as to write in a cartoon character, the new President will have little or no political capital. He (or she) will not be able to "ramrod through" whatever he wants, and he will not have the political clout to force Congress to go along. Instead, each Congressman will have to listen to his constituents and make his own decision on what to support or oppose."
In most states, write-in candidates that reach a certain threshold are reported as percentages just like the normal candidates are. The group's plan is for Mickey Mouse to reach that point, as a way for voters to visibly and effectively demonstrate their disgust.
MickeyForPresident.com targets conservatives in particular, since as right-wing opinion makers like Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity have pointed out, there is no true conservative in the race. John McCain shares similar views with both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama on immigration, global warming, and campaign finance reform, hot-button issues for many core Republican voters.
The group's website currently allows visitors to "sign up" by pledging their support and joining a list that is displayed on the home page. To date, the list boasts nearly 1,000 names. The group is also asking for donations to further promote their candidate in other avenues. Visitors can also use forms to tell their friend's about the site, volunteer or ask the site's directors questions directly.
While the group does use humor from time to time - they claim that Donald Duck will "of course" be Mickey's running mate - the site is designed in a serious fashion with "Make a Serious Statement" set as the campaign's motto. The directors of the campaign say that they are from both sides of the political spectrum - not just the right - and are disgusted with everyone that is running, not just John McCain. They note that "race, sex and age" have been the focus of the primaries instead of issues, conviction and results.
The site fully discloses their contact information as well as their mailing address where requests can be sent.
MickeyForPresident.com has no affiliation with the Disney Corporation, and uses the name and image of Mickey under the fair use and parody provisions of the copyright act.
###