Ursa
VP candidate for Independent (2008)
Running mate with nominee: General Zod
Popular vote: 0 (0.00%)
Electoral vote: 0/538
The campaign:
A confession here. I was a comic book collector back in the Silver Age until about 1970/71. I do remember the Phantom Zone in the Superman stories of those days, but have failed to keep up with the complicated narrative of the series ever since.
The Phantom Zone was sort of numb fog-like dimension where criminals on the planet Krypton were sent as a form of punishment, isolating them from society. Ironically, when Krypton exploded those who were incarcerated in the Phantom Zone were not affected, making them among the survivors of their species. At least in the original version. Among the inmates of the Zone was General Zod. He later acquired a sidekick, commonly known as Ursa but she has had other names in the series.
Well, apparently as we Boomers aged we continued to read comic books, and the stories became more complex and morally ambiguous, just like we did. I won't even try to catch up on a half century of storyline that I have missed, but it seems General Zod has had several different incarnations since 1961. The one that matters in terms of this profile is the character who showed up in the 1978 movie and was portrayed by the actor Terence Stamp. His partner in crime and 2008 running-mate Ursa was portrayed by Sarah Douglas in the same film.
A General Zod 2008 website emerged during the campaign season apparently originating in Garland, Tex. It was based on the Stamp version but featured a different person portraying the evil villain. Some of the highlights--
Zod's Campaign Platform
I do not take orders. I give them. Congress shall no longer have the ability to impeach me or override my decisions, and the Supreme Court shall not meddle in government affairs.
Your freedom will be expanded. You will be even more free to give your money and lives to me, and to be my eternal subjects.
Eliminate the Iraq War. The Iraq War has shifted $187 billion to the defense industry. How is this "defense industry" to kneel before me? Are my praises to be sung as footnotes in their paperwork? You will stop giving these corporations your wealth. I suggest you put the money into your own schools and health care, so that I may have intelligent, healthy servants. I will indulge your wishes if you all want a Westernized, unpopular regime in Iraq, and I too shall gloat in its troubles, but it will not be done at my expense.
Universal health care. Even a criminal like myself is shocked that millions are not able to get health insurance and cannot pay for basic surgery. Who are these power brokers that allow the pigpen to become wormy and filthy? I demand your very lives, but I am not such an imbecile as to institutionalize suffering and poverty. You have my assurance that this shall change swiftly.
Corporate reform. You people have become disgusting minions to these things you call "corporations". These things take your money and your land, put you into debt, send your jobs overseas, provide you with unsafe foods, and sue you when you say anything bad about them. Yet you people fatten them up at the ballot box. You give them free land, name your stadiums after them, allow them to telemarket you, and even sacrifice your own bankruptcy protections. Quite frankly it astonishes me. I will break this sickly codependency. It is I who shall be your ruler. I shall empower you with wealth to give me as tribute. A corporation cannot bow to me or give me tribute that comes from the heart.
You will buy U.S. made items. Why do you buy Chinese-made items when you know that it sells out the jobs of your family and friends? How will you buy those cheap things when you have no job? You are sending my wealth and tribute to foreign lands. I will not tolerate this.
Although there are plenty of references to Ursa on the webpage, she did not appear to have a very active role in the electioneering. Naturally, aside from being fictitious characters, the fact they were born on another planet and did not enter the USA through normal channels making them literal illegal aliens would of course prevent them from legally assuming office. In the question and answer portion of the webpage, this issue is addressed--
Q. Hey, Zod, dude - Last time I checked, the Constitution of the United States said you have to be a natural-born American citizen before you can be president. Your bio says you were born some place called Krypton. Well, I can't find it on any U.S. map. I bet there ain't no such place. Not in the U.S., anyway. Looks like you're screwed, man. Too bad. P.S.: Lose the beard. Makes you look like Lenin. Us Americans don't much like commies. - Bernie G.
A. Do you propose proof that I was born on Krypton? I don't think you can. My birth certificate comes from, well, shall we say, Laredo? I have friends there. The same ones who assist with new workers from Mexico. With that said, I challenge you to undo my citizenship. Yes, I, General Zod, was born in Laredo, Texas. Make no mistake about that! Swear allegience to me and surrender your vote!
The original general Zod 2008 website remained up until July 2018. Others have perpetuated the concept in subsequent elections.
Election history: none
Other occupations: super-villain
Notes:
I sold my comic book collection to help finance college. The only part of it I kept was a page of original art with pencils and inks by the great Joe Kubert, a Hawkman story from Brave and the Bold #43 (Sept. 1962), page 15. It is framed and on display in my loving room. Beautiful work.
