Former “American Idol” star Clay Aiken is considering a run for Congress.
No, not kidding.
And it might not be all that bad. I mean, for Congress and North Carolina in general, we could all do a whole lot worse.
First reported by the Washington Blade this past Friday, Aiken, 35, who was runner-up in the second season of the show, is “actively considering” running, according to a top aide at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Aiken, himself a Raleigh native, would run for North Carolina’s second congressional district seat currently held by tea party Republican Renee Ellmerr, who apparently vowed not to brush her hair until Obamacare is repealed.
Aiken famously came out in 2008 on the cover of People magazine, appearing with his infant son. Since then, Aiken hasn’t been shy about either his sexuality or his politics. In November of 2010, he participated in a congressional briefing, speaking on the urgent need to pass antibullying bills meant to protect LGBT students. Beyond that issue, watch him debate same-sex marriage with hate-mongering Tony Perkins on “Face the Nation” in May of 2012:
Some say Aiken’s approach is novel — that looking like Hillary Clinton might help capture some of her political magic. But seriously, isn’t the U.S. House of Representatives in and of itself an American Idol, if “American Idol” was a contest for bloated white men intent on doing nothing? Who knows? If elected, Aiken may well help reverse that trend. Though being runner-up seems to be a bit of a trend for Aiken. He also scored the number two spot on “Celebrity Apprentice,” losing to Arsenio Hall in the show’s fifth season.
But what if he won? Stranger things have happened, and the American voter has a habit of sending strange B-List celebrities with questionable credentials to higher officer. I’m not just talking Ronald Reagan here. Did you know that the guy who played Gopher on “The Love Boat” was elected to four terms in Congress? Sonny Bono served one and a half terms before … well … you know. And I’m not even going to bore you with the list of “Hey, wasn’t he on …” celebrities that we’ve sent to statewide office.
Again, stranger things have happened. With Aiken mulling a run, remember: we could do worse. Remember: we do do worse.
The filing deadline is Feb. 28 with the primary set for May 6.
Good luck, Clay.
