Peter Joseph Ross, January 1961 (New York, N.Y.) -
VP candidate for Tomorrow Party (2000)
Running mate with nominee: Alexander Joseph Luthor (b. 1940)
Popular vote: ? (0.00%)
Electoral vote: 0/538
The campaign:
Electing a President who is a sociopathic narcissist and a corporate executive with zero public sector administrative experience can only happen in comic books or movies/TV, right? I'm talking about Superman's nemesis Lex Luthor, of course.
This is the DC universe, a world where a top investigative reporter in a large city (Lois Lane) is unable to observe Clark Kent is merely Superman with glasses and a business suit. A world where Police Commissioner Gordon cannot connect the dots between Batman and Robin with millionaire Bruce Wayne and his youthful ward, Dick Grayson.
But then again, when I last left the world of DC and Marvel, comic books were still 12 cents. So the whole DC thing about "the Crisis Trilogy," "the New 52," "New Earth" etc. has me Elmer BeFuddled when I try to catch up on what has transpired in the last half century plus.
In one of these narratives in the DC house of mirrors (Adventures of Superman #581), Lex Luthor is elected President in the year 2000 almost in real time, as the leader of the Tomorrow Party. His running-mate, described as a former US Senator from Kansas, is Pete Ross, political party unknown.
Apparently the Pete Ross character was around when I was avidly reading Superman comics, but I have no memory of him. He was Clark Kent/Superboy's pal back in Smallville.
I won't even begin to attempt describing Luthor's presidency as I do not enjoy swimming in quicksand, but suffice to say it comes to a bad end and he leaves office in 2003 before his term is over. Ross assumes the mantle for a few weeks before resigning.
Interesting trivia connection here. There was another would-be DC Senator named Pete Ross. Not DC as in comics, but DC as in District of Columbia.
The same month in 1961 the DC comic version debut of Pete Ross was released to the world, the US Congress passed the 23rd Amendment, giving residents of Washington, DC the ability to vote for Presidential Electors. However, statehood status was not included in that legislation. Since 1990 DC has elected "Shadow Senators" and "Shadow Congresspeople" as mostly a symbolic effort. One of the unsuccessful perennial candidates for the job is a Democrat named-- Pete Ross.
Election history:
199? - US Senator (Kan.) (unknown party)
2001-2003 - US Vice-President (Tomorrow Party)
2003 - US President (Tomorrow Party)
Other occupations: fictitious character
Notes:
Kansas actually had a Senator Ross. Edmund Gibson Ross (1826-1907) was a Republican who served in office 1866-1871. He crossed party lines when he voted not to convict and remove President Andrew Johnson from office, earning himself a chapter in John F. Kennedy's Profiles in Courage.
