Established politicians are also bumping into a new cast of characters within corridors of legislative power. In 2010 parliamentary elections in Brazil, for example, the candidate who won the most votes anywhere in the country (and the second-most-voted congressman in the country's history) was a clown - an actual clown who went by the name of Tiririca and wore his clown costume while he campaigned. His platform was as anti-politician as it gets. "I don't know what a representative in congress does, " he told voters in YouTube video that attracted millions of voters, "but if you send me there I will tell you". He also explained that his goal was "to help needy people in this country, but especially my family". Anonymous
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The reason the character of the clown played such an important role in the election was not just because he was funny. It was because he represented the voice of people who didn't normally vote for politicians. Voters, they say, are dead. "The function of the clown is to bring feelings of joy and entertainment to people that are not comfortable with politics," said political scientist Jorge Arbache about the rise of the clowns in politics. "People don't like to vote, but they like to vote for someone they don't know."

Source: The End Of Power: From Boardrooms To Battlefields And Churches To States, Why Being In Charge Isnt What It Used To Be

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