Mariner Moose, April 13, 1990 (Seattle, Wash.) -
VP candidate for Independent (1996)
Running mate with nominee: George Kenneth Griffey Jr. (b. 1969)
Popular vote: 0 (0.00%)
Electoral vote: 0/538
The campaign:
An advertising campaign for Nike hit television sets starting in Feb. 1996. Developed by Wieden & Kennedy, an ad agency based in Portland, the idea was to run Seattle Mariners baseball star Ken Griffey Jr. for President. Funkmaster George Clinton posed as the campaign manager. Baseball player Reggie Jackson, Democratic political consultant James Carville, and Republican primary candidate Steve Forbes also appeared in the ads. In one of them Carville says with a straight face, "People don't want someone coming out of left field. And they sure don't want someone who plays too far right. Griffey's in the center, perfectly positioned."
Griffey's running-mate was his team's mascot, Mariner Moose.
I never understood why the Mariners agreed to have a moose for a mascot, which they apparently selected as the result of a contest. Maaaaybe you might see a moose or two in the extreme northeast corner of Washington State where the Rockies sort of slop over, but it isn't really part of our animalscape in the Olympic or Cascade mountain ranges. My college, The Evergreen State College in Olympia, selected the phallic looking geoduck as the mascot. As a native creature of our area, that one makes more sense to me than using a moose for a Seattle baseball team.
Mariner Moose is one of the few, perhaps the only, third party Vice-Presidential candidate I have actually seen in, er, person. Spectator sports is not really my thing, but my brother and nephew did take me to a couple Mariner games a few years ago and it was a lot of fun. One of the things that really stuck with me was being so impressed by the amazing gymnastics and kinetics of Mariner Moose. How that guy was able to perform such feats in that cumbersome looking costume is astounding.
Outside of the ads, it looked as if Mariner Moose was doing most of the electioneering by appearing at events. Sports columnist Jeff Gordon observed, "From what we can tell about this campaign, Griffey mostly smiles and waves and lets the energetic Moose do all the baby kissing."
The ads were considered a success by Nike, but Griffey himself reportedly did not enjoy the experience.
Nike ended the campaign abruptly on Aug. 30, 1996. A statement supposedly quoting Griffey said, "I sincerely believe either candidate would do a fine job running this country. However I do not think they would be of much help to the Mariners down the stretch. It is, therefore, with a heavy heart, and a 31-ounce bat, that I must announce I am dropping out of the presidential race to focus solely on my duties as a Seattle Mariner ... The Mariner Moose, however, would like to be considered for a cabinet position."
In the event they had won there were three problems for them in taking office. First Griffey was in his twenties and the mascot was only six, far below the Constitutionally mandated age of 35. Secondly, they were residents of the same state, which is another legal roadblock. And last, Mariner Moose is a fictitious character, and an animal fictitious character at that. The Moose, in a rare example of actually talking, told a reporter, "If the people speak and decide the Griffey-Moose ticket is the way to go, it should not be a problem to sway Congress to pass the appropriate amendments."
Election history: none
Other occupations: Seattle Mariners baseball team mascot
Notes:
Eddie Murray of the Baltimore Orioles ran a rival Presidential campaign, sponsored by Fila in response to Nike.
