As if politics hasn't been weird enough with Marjorie Three Names and Lauren Boebert, Sarah Palin is jumping back into politics in Alaska's special primary election. In case that's not strange enough, the former half-term Governor of Alaska will face off with a dude named Santa Claus. He's not the guy that's known for breaking into houses across the globe every December. Claus is pro-choice and favors Medicare for All, among other things. It's a crowded field, though.
Claus, 75, identifies as a democratic socialist and supported Independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders's presidential runs. In contrast, Palin is ridiculously stupid and is, of course, endorsed by former President Donald Trump. Nearly 50 candidates are running, and voters will cast their ballots, then the top four names will go forward to the run-off, using ranked voting.
"Whoever goes in for the short term, since we've been without representation for a while in the House, should spend their time working for the people of Alaska, not spending their time campaigning for the subsequent two-year term," Claus said.
Via CNN:
Before changing his name from Thomas Patrick O'Connor in 2005, Claus spent time in several US cities. He earned a bachelor's and master's degree at New York University and worked for the New York Police Department in the 1970s. He later lived in Colorado and Nevada, in skiing and resort communities where he often played Santa Claus during holiday events and became an advocate for at-risk children.
He said the name change came after he had grown out his beard and started playing Santa Claus for nonprofits at Lake Tahoe. On a walk on a snowy road in 2005, he had prayed about how he could use his Santa Claus-like appearance to help children. As he finished, he recalled, a white car drove by, and someone inside shouted: "Santa, I love you!"
"So," he said, "I took it to heart."
Palin, on the other hand, doesn't have much of a resume. She quit her job as Governor of Alaska and is a failed vice-presidential candidate, and did occasional gigs on Fox News. You would think this would be a no-brainer, but remember that conservatives gave a former reality show star with zero political experience the keys to the White House.
