On November 8, 2016, somebody will be elected to the highest office in the land, that of the President of The United States. Now, that’s a huge deal and will be a notable day in American history, but not for the sole reason that somebody will get a change in title. The main transformation here will come in marking the end of what is arguably the weirdest election in the history of American democracy. Historically speaking, there have been some absurdly strange elections, but the 2016 race still takes the cake. To prove this, allow me to count down the five most ridiculous trends and events that have occurred since the first candidate announced their intention to run.
1. The Birds
Starting our countdown at number five, this iconic event comes to us courtesy of the animal kingdom. See, this item also can be considered a “two for the price of one” type of deal, as there were multiple birds involved in this election. First, there was the bald eagle named Uncle Sam that attacked Donald Trump. Second, there was the tiny little bird that landed on Bernie Sanders’s podium during a rally and got an instant standing ovation. Said incident led to this picture circulating around the Internet:
I, personally, am glad that the birds are getting involved in politics nowadays, because we all know how much people like to complain about lack of group involvement in these types of processes.
2. The Snapchat
If you’ve ever heard someone say they’re “just chillin’ in Cedar Rapids,” odds are they aren’t actually in Iowa. Actually, there’s a strong chance they’re quoting this video, made by Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in the hopes of connecting more with young voters. It surprised few when the outreach attempt ended up turning against the former Secretary of State and instead became a popular saying among young people whose intent was based solely in mocking. Needless to say there is very little chance of Chillary Clinton making a return to social media during the rest of this election season.
3. The Whip (And The Nae Nae)
You think that the Snapchat disaster would have deterred Mrs. Clinton from pursuing any more public performances that would make her seem “cool,” but that’s not the case. In fact, she managed to something even weirder by going on The Ellen Show and trying to whip and nae nae. For those of you that don’t know, the whip/nae nae combination is a new type of dance move that has captivated children and teenagers, so it’s no surprise that it would be emulated by a presidential candidate trying to gain the young vote she so desperately lost to her competitor.
4. The Hands
Let’s be honest; Donald Trump’s entire campaign has been nothing short of an extended publicity stunt. Running for office under a platform that lacks consistent substance, he must turn to cheap tricks to get the attention of voters. Therefore, when he went into a televised debate and defended the size of his hands (in relation to other things) to an entire country, nobody was too terribly shocked. Instead, most people just shook their heads, sighed and accepted defeat.
5. The Zodiac Killer
The prominence of this election on the Internet has greatly shaped how all of the candidates’ various campaigns have shaken down, but none may have been shaped more than that of Senator Ted Cruz of Texas. Though not especially popular with younger people or anyone that leans even close to the left socially, Mr. Cruz gained his fame when the Internet collectively decided that he was actually the infamous Zodiac Killer, who evaded capture in the late 60’s, just years before the Senator was born. Ridiculous (and mainly) satirical theories have risen in response, but the continued insistence by teenagers online that the former Republican candidate for President is actually the Zodiac Killer has been the strangest, and arguably most amusing, story of this election year.
(Bonus: The Bush Campaign)
Do yourself a favor and look up tribute videos to Jeb Bush’s campaign on YouTube. You won’t regret it. This one is my personal favorite.
Politics is screwed up; we can all admit that. However, this election took that idea to a whole new level. From memes to crude humor in televised debates, the most prominent candidates have displayed to the country their personalities to the fullest. So when one of them is finally elected, let me just say, good luck, America. We'll need it.
