Ficus for Congress
From Free Talk Live
In the 2000 United States Congress elections, satirist and filmmaker Michael Moore led a campaign for voters to submit a ficus tree as a write-in candidate. [1] This campaign was replicated across the country and was recounted in an episode of The Awful Truth.
Ficus was a write-in candidate to challenge Republican Rodney P. Frelinghuysen New Jersey's 11th congressional district otherwise unopposed re-election. The Ficus campaign evolved into a publicity-stunt to make a point about how rarely congressmen are held accountable for their terms in office. "Most run unopposed in their primaries and 95% are re-elected every time in the general election." [2] Since 1793, New Jersey has sent six Frelinghuysens to Congress — four to the U.S. Senate and two to the House of Representatives. In a press release announcing the plant's candidacy, Moore wrote, "We think it's time to point out to the Frelinghuysen family that we live in a democracy, not a dynasty." [3]
In total 23 plants ran as write-in candidates for House seats around the country, inspired by Michael Moore. The Ficus write-in votes were of New Jersey's 11 congressional district later refused to be counted by the election committee, but the ones that were showed the Ficus having a 4-1 lead over Frelinghuysen.
Other
Politician George Allen had a noose hanging from a ficus tree in his Charlottesville office.
External Links
- Ficus for Congress episode on The Awful Truth in three parts on YouTube:
