Rupert Boneham, the grisly, tie-dyed "Survivor" contestant, is running for Indiana governor.
Before you roll your eyes, remember that similar events have occurred. Action star Arnold Schwarzenegger became governor of California in a special election in 2003. Cowboy actor Ronald Reagan held the presidency for two terms in the 1980s.
Even as we speak, there are celebrities in public office. Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., used to perform and write for "Saturday Night Live." Even Kal Penn, the actor who plays Kumar in the "Harold and Kumar" series, held the appointed position of associate director of the White House Office of Public Engagement.
If Kumar can work for the president, we think Boneham's run for governor shouldn't be tossed aside. Even though he probably won't win the election, there are a number of consequences his possible candidacy may set in motion.
Boneham is seeking nomination as the Libertarian Party candidate. Considered the third largest political party, the Libertarian stance supports laissez-faire economics and civil liberties, according to its website.
Its insistence of minimally regulated markets strongly reflects that of the modern Republican Party. This means one thing for many Republican supporters — lost votes.
The election between front-runners Rep. Mike Pence and former Indiana House Speaker John Gregg became much more complicated once Boneham decided to campaign.
Look at it this way: Before Boneham, those who lean right or left on economic or social issues would vote republican or democrat, respectively. In this case, those with conservative economic views and liberal social views, or vice versa, were left with a choice between Pence and Gregg.
But once a third-party candidate decides to run, major party candidates lose votes. A perfect example of this was Ross Perot's run for president in 1992. Many republicans blame George H.W. Bush's loss on Perot, an independent who held many conservative views and received 18.9 percent of the popular vote, many of which would have gone to Bush.
A similar situation now sits in front of Indiana voters. There are two choices for conservative fiscal issues, and it's likely votes will be split between them.
It's this thinking, though, that many libertarians claim will prevent their election into office. It's this thinking that prevents many third party candidates from ever standing a chance in modern elections.
But voting for a candidate from the Green, Libertarian or any other third party can still work positively. Voting for these parties shows support for their issues, and many times, it brings the issues they support to the forefront.
Whether Boneham survives the election season remains to be seen, but there's no doubt his decision to run is one that will affect the next year, and the term of the governor that follows.
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