Ever since George Washington was swept into office, almost by public acclamation, the United States has attracted a host of odd-ball campaigns, formed and/or led by candidates, some of whom were actually living human beings. Political protests have, over the years, sparked a slew of imaginary and comedic campaigns as well; most of these were expressions of futility voters felt with the official slates offered. Here is a list that includes a number of these strange runners.

1. Eugene V. Debs – A four-time Presidential candidate, running as a Socialist, Debs, who opposed the draft, garnered almost one-million votes in the 1920 election, while he was in prison for violating the National Espionage Act.
2. Harold Stassen – Another perennial candidate, who was once the governor of Minnesota, and the President of the University of Pennsylvania, Stassen ran for President twelve times from 1944-2000.
3. Ralph Nader – Known primarily as a consumer-activist, Nader has run for the Presidency four times, twice representing the Green Party, and twice running as an independent.  Many feel he cost Al Gore the election in the tight 2000 election by taking almost three per cent of the vote.
4. Theodore Roosevelt – The former President, Roosevelt failed to receive the 1912 Republican nomination, which went to incumbent William Howard Taft. Roosevelt started the Progressive Party, aka the “Bull Moose” Party, and was one of four major candidates in an election won by Woodrow Wilson.
5. Pat Paulsen – A comedian known for his deadpan delivery, he was the “editorialist” for the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. A candidate, in jest, six times, he actually finished second to George Bush in the 1992 North Dakota Republican Primary.
6. George Washington – In 1789, the only odd-numbered election year, war hero George Washington ran virtually unopposed for the Presidency.
7. Alfred E. Neuman – Fictional cover-boy for the satirical Mad Magazine, Neuman has been a write-in “candidate” for the Presidency since 1956, running on the “What, me worry?” platform.
8. Mike Gravel – Formerly a Senator from Alaska, Gravel was an anti-draft activist in the 1970s. As a semi-serious Presidential candidate, Gravel was, in fact, a serious proponent of direct democracy, and his use of the Internet to promote his ideas was considered a novel and effective approach.
9. Jonathon “The Impaler” Sharkey – Probably the most bloodthirsty candidate ever, actor and “wrestling” professional Sharkey, who has filed to run as a Republican in the 2012 race, has also formed his own “Vampires, Witches and Pagans” Party, describing himself as a “sanguinary vampire”.
10. Mickey Mouse – Never an “official” candidate, Mickey, nonetheless, receives numerous write-in votes in many elections, including Presidential elections. A vote for Mickey is usually a protest against other candidates, with the idea that even a cartoon mouse would make a better office-holder than any of the real aspirants on a ballot.

As evidenced by the presence of the “Impaler”, 2012 figures to provide interesting counterpoints to whomever the Republicans and Democrats trot out for the campaign.