This Pig Was Nominated for US President — What Happened Next?

This Pig Was Nominated for US President — What Happened Next?. In 1968, a pig named Pigasus was officially nominated as a candidate for the US presidency — not as a joke, but as a symbolic attack on the corrupt and irrelevant political system. It was arrested by the police at the same time as the announcement was made. And yes, it really happened.. Why a Pig Could Be a Presidential Candidate? It wasn't because the US laws prohibited it — in fact, there is no constitutional requirement that a presidential candidate must be human. Article II, Section 1 of the US Constitution only requires a candidate to be: 1 a native-born citizen, 2 at least 35 years old, and 3 a resident of the US for at least 14 years. There is no mention of species. So when the Youth International Party Yippies — a radical young activist group — chose Pigasus, a 66 kg domestic pig from an Illinois farm, they were testing the absurdity of democracy itself. Not to win, but to show: if the system can accept a hollow, manipulative, and irresponsible candidate, why not one that is at least honest — a pig that at least doesn't lie? Who Is Pigasus — and Why Was He Named 'Pigasus'? Pigasus is not a casual nickname. It's a combination of 'pig' and 'Pegasus' — the legendary Greek winged horse that represents freedom, inspiration, and rebellion against tyrannical power. His full name? Pigasus the Immortal , and sometimes made more formal as Pigasus J. Pig . He was chosen not just for its humor, but because pigs in Western culture are often associated with gluttony, filth, and abuse of power — a perfect metaphor for what the Yippies saw in the Washington politics of the time. Pigasus was not represented by an actor or a puppet: he was a real pig, brought to Chicago in a van, placed on a wooden stage in Grant Park, and given 'The Pigasus Platform': 'No more war, no more poverty, and no more pigs in the White House — unless they're honest.' What Happened When the Official Announcement Was Made? On August 23, 1968, about two hours before the opening of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, the Yippies held a 'nomination rally' in front of City Hall. Jerry Rubin and Abbie Hoffman — two key Yippie leaders — stood beside the pig, reading a scathing manifesto: 'We nominate Pigasus not because he's perfect, but because he never made false promises, never sent young people to Vietnam, and never profited from arms.' In less than 90 seconds after the announcement, six Chicago police officers rushed in, picked up Pigasus, and arrested seven activists, including Hoffman. Pigasus himself was not charged — but was taken to a local animal shelter, where he was treated, fed carefully, and eventually returned to his owner. There is no record of him ever being called to testify in court. Why Did the Police Act So Quickly — and What Does the Arrest Mean? The police response was not just a reaction to a 'public disturbance.' It was a sign that power could no longer tolerate a too-accurate satire. Amidst social turmoil — anti-Vietnam War protests, Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination, and racial tensions — the Yippies had found the system's weak point: it's more afraid of absurdity that challenges it than of real anger . The Pigasus arrest was not a tragedy; it was an indirect victory. Every newspaper report, every TV broadcast that night featured the image of the pig in a police car — and in the process, spread the Yippies' message much further than if they had just spoken to 200 people. A 2021 media study by Northwestern University confirmed: coverage of the 'Pigasus incident' exceeded coverage of 80% of minor presidential candidates in 1968 — not because it was politically important, but because it couldn't be ignored cognitively . Did Pigasus Leave a Legacy — or Was It Just a Funny Story? Pigasus died in the early 1970s — not in the White House, but on the same farm, in peace. However, his legacy lives on: in satirical campaigns like The Yes Men , in fictional nominations like Vermin Supreme a US presidential candidate who promised to give every citizen a pair of horseback riding boots , and even in modern laws — some US states now explicitly state that a candidate must be 'human,' after the Pigasus incident became a reference in legislative discussions. More importantly: Pigasus taught generations that sometimes, a pig on stage is more ethical than all the candidates in the room. It's not about rejecting democracy. It's about demanding a democracy that can be trusted — and if we can't improve it, at least we can name a candidate who won't lie to us. What Can We Learn Today — When Politics Is Becoming More Theatrical? Today, we see politics becoming more hybrid: between reality and alternative reality, between fact and 'feelings-based truth.' Pigasus might seem like a 1960s joke — but it's a clean mirror. It reminds us: when political language becomes fuzzy, sometimes only absurdity can refocus on the truth. And yes — maybe we don't need to nominate pigs again. But we still need thousands of Pigasus: not as candidates, but as questions that no police, media, or power can silence.