Election Day (in the United States) is less than a month away. I’m sure you have seen and heard the countless political ads currently being broadcast non-stop on TV and the radio. Perhaps, you have been following your local races, perhaps not. But, in Alameda, California just about everyone is following the race for City Hall’s top spot. It’s hard not to considering a real clown is running for mayor there… and rumor has it even his sister won’t vote for him.
According to news reports, Kenneth Kahn, a professional joker known as “Kenny the Clown,” admits he’s running a “long-shot campaign” for mayor. The 41-year-old has not previously run for an elected position and has never sat on a public board. Basically, he has no experience in politics whatsoever, but he told local reporters he isn’t going to let that stop him.
“People ask me, ‘Do we really want to elect a clown for mayor of the city?'” he said. “I say, ‘That’s an excellent question.'”
As I mentioned earlier, there have been reports that Kahn’s sister is not supporting her brother’s “pipe dream.” In addition, his mother, Barbara, told a local newspaper her son “doesn’t have a chance.” His sister wasn’t quite as tactful. Sylvia Kahn, a teacher, said her brother’s candidacy is a “mockery of our system.” But she didn’t stop there. She went on to say, “I don’t think it makes any sense, because, to me, running for mayor is not where you start as far as community involvement goes.”
With less than a month to go before voters head to the polls, many Alameda residents say they are still undecided as to who they will vote for. Kahn, who graduated from the University of California at Berkeley, faces stiff competition. He is up against popular incumbent Beverly Johnson and City Councilman Doug deHaan.
There’s a real clown running for office in Alameda… would you vote for him?