Not only is a vulgar Internet meme running in the 2016 presidential election, it’s outperforming many other major candidates.
Late last month, “Deez Nuts”—best known as the juvenile punchline to a vast array of Web-inspired jokes—formally filed paperwork to run for President of the United States of America. He is now polling at 8 percent in Minnesota, presenting a credible threat to conventional campaigners. He’s more popular in the state than all but four Republicans—after Donald Trump, Jeb Bush, Scott Walker, and Marco Rubio, Nuts is sitting in fifth place.
Mr. Nuts is running as an independent, throwing his hat in the ring from Wallingford, Iowa, a rural community of 197 people in the northwest of the state. Public Policy Polling has dissected the numbers attached to this unlikely campaign with humor and appeal.
Deez Nuts poll at 8% as an independent candidate for President in MN when tested against Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump #NewsYouCanUse
— PublicPolicyPolling (@ppppolls) August 4, 2015
Deez Nuts haven’t had much exposure to American public- 89% have no opinion. 3% favorable, 8% unfavorable: https://t.co/kYes9DKGO7
— PublicPolicyPolling (@ppppolls) August 4, 2015
60% of Deez Nuts voters undecided in h2h with Clinton/Trump. Providing outlet for voters to express frustration: https://t.co/kYes9DKGO7
— PublicPolicyPolling (@ppppolls) August 4, 2015
We should have the full Minnesota poll out by 3 or so for those who want to dig into the crosstabs on Deez Nuts
— PublicPolicyPolling (@ppppolls) August 4, 2015
Spending Wednesday night writing poll questions about dead lions and Deez Nuts just like the Mayans predicted
— PublicPolicyPolling (@ppppolls) July 30, 2015
Public Policy Polling’s data confirms that Deez Nuts is a more popular candidate in Minnesota than Bobby Jindal, Jim Gilmore, Lindsey Graham, George Pataki, and Rick Santorum.
Nuts is also outperforming Rick Perry, who has “literally no supporters” in the state.
H/T Washington Times | Photo via Adam Wyles/Flickr (CC BY 2.0)