11 Political Parody Accounts to Follow on Twitter

Posted by: Mel Jones | 10:24 AM

Twitter has become an indispensable part of political dialogue in the U.S., opening the door for clever political humorists to gain --- and potentially influence --- a large audience.

There's no shortage of sarcasm and wit on Twitter, but the social network is particularly well-suited to parody, whose history of influence over culture and politics stretches back well before the Internet age.

Parodies, with their equal parts imitation and ridicule, can be very effective on Twitter because of their proximity to what they're mocking. On Twitter, users can assume names that have little or no relation to their given names. In addition, Twitter has an established class of politically-savvy and educated users who look to the site to provide breaking news and analysis. They want real-time news, and they are happy to have real-time humor too. 

Parodies often get launched on a whim, sometimes within minutes of a ripe statement or event. It only took a few minutes for an enterprising convention-watcher to launch @InvisibleObama in reaction to Clint Eastwood's speech/performance at the GOP meeting in Tampa. Ditto for a flurry of "Big Bird" parody accounts that launched during the first presidential debate, mere moments after Mitt Romney mentioned the feathered fella.

Some accounts start slowly, then gain steam as events bring their subjects into the limelight. The @GingrichIdeas account was "started in the midst of the primary campaign, before Newt's first rise in the polls," said the account's creator to OhMyGov. "There was a Washington Post article that described Newt Gingrich as an ‘ideas factory'... [The account] was as much a joke on DC media as on Newt himself."

We asked one of Twitter's most famous parody voices, the sometimes crass but always honest @Wise_Kaplan, what he thought about the use of political parody on Twitter. His answer, naturally: "It's Newt."

Here are 11 political parody accounts that we enjoy following:

Joe Biden (@VeepJoeBiden)
The well-meaning vice-president whose irrationality and fun-loving ways get in the way of stately conduct

#IfIWereRomney I'd just sit in my Firebird and ride my car elevator up and down all day.

— Joe Biden (@VeepJoeBiden) September 7, 2012

Angela Merkel (@Queen_Europe)
A perpetually-exasperated and impatient female leader surrounded by unappreciative, weaker foreign countries

Relaxing with a horror movie. Oh hang on, this is the videoconference.

— Angela Merkel (not) (@Queen_Europe) June 15, 2012

Dalai Parton (@DalaiParton)
A no-nonsense, heartbroken singer with an appreciation for global peace and equality

Especially when working 9 to 5. RT @deepakchopra Be kind to yourself and others. Come from love every moment you can.

— Dalai Parton (@DalaiParton) August 20, 2012

Kim Jong Il (@KimJongNumberUn)
A young dictator with double the amount of fervor than practicality

URGENT NEED TO FIND DUDE WHO DID OLYMPIC FIREWORKS HOW DID THEY MAKE ROCKETS GO SO FAR CONTACT ME ON MYSPACE KTHXBYE

— KimJongNumberUn (@KimJongNumberUn) August 12, 2012

InvisibleObama (@invisibleobama)
The president as empty chair. Consistent and still clever two months after its primetime RNC launch.

Honored to have been featured in Facebook's first commercial. youtu.be/c7SjvLceXgU #invisiblebrag

— Invisible Obama (@InvisibleObama) October 4, 2012

Clinton Arithmetic (@ClintonMath)
The wise elder politician who enjoys at-length discussions of poll numbers and economic data

@cliffordthehutt @political_bill -- Taxes were higher, especially for the wealthy, during the Clinton years, and the economy did very well.

— Clinton Arithmetic (@ClintonMath) September 24, 2012

El Bloombito (@ElBloombito)
The Spanglish-language mayor who struggles to overcome language barriers in a diverse metropolis

Stay awayo para los next few days los parks y los trees. Que fall down. El BOOM!

— Miguel Bloombito (@ElBloombito) August 28, 2011

Senior White House Official (@SrWHOfficial)
An almost official voice of the White House.

When he speaks, the teleprompter quits. He is... The Most Interesting Ex-President In The World.

— Sr. WH Official (@SrWHOfficial) September 6, 2012

Paul Ryan Gosling (@PaulRyanGosling)
The combination of Paul Ryan and Ryan Gosling, a romantic fiscal conservative with your best interests at heart / wallet

Hey girl, I know I'm only 42, but my ideas on women's rights are over 500 years old.

— Paul Ryan Gosling (@PaulRyanGosling) August 12, 2012

Romney Hood (@MittR0mney)
An affable, if offensive, former governor and 2012 presidential candidate

Romney: "I didn't want to be President of you losers anyway."

— Romney Hood (@MittRmoney) September 17, 2012

Gingrich Ideas (@GingrichIdeas)
Newt Gingrich's ideas, if they were wild animals caged in a zoo on the moon

Reduce length of the mile to improve fuel efficiency.

— Newt Gingrich Ideas (@GingrichIdeas) December 27, 2011

Follow OhMyGov on Twitter at @ohmygov

Email| Print | Comment

The week's 10 best political jokes – August 31, 2012

Coming next week, old man talks to empty chair...

Posted by: OhMyGov | 08:53 AM

10. "Chris Christie gave the keynote address. In his speech he said the word 'I' 37 times, 'Romney' 7 times, and 'jobs' only once. And then there was the 622 times he said the word 'ham.'" –Conan O'Brien

9. "John McCain was at the convention. He just wandered out on stage in his bathrobe." –David Letterman

8. "According to a poll released last week, Mitt Romney has zero percent of the black vote. In fact, if it weren't for John Boehner, Romney wouldn't have any support from people of color at all." –Jay Leno

7. "Mitt Romney went birther today. He was in Michigan, where he was born, and he said, 'No one has ever asked to see my birth certificate.' Right, because you weren't born. You have a warranty card." –Bill Maher

6. "Some of the Republicans, I think, are over-reacting to Hurricane Isaac — like today Rick Santorum was seen gathering up two of every animal." –Jay Leno

5. "You can think outside the box and pick someone who'll excite people like Sarah Palin or you can play it safe with an honest down-home family man like John Edwards." –Craig Ferguson

4. "I can't wait to see the debate between Ryan and Joe Biden. Biden is said to be already trying out different strategies. So far the one that Obama likes is where Biden pretends to have food poisoning and they cancel the debate." –Craig Ferguson

3. "Herman Cain was in Tampa. When a reporter asked him if Isaac reminded him of Katrina, he said, 'I never even met the woman.'" –Jay Leno

2. "It seems the GOP has placed 13,000 umbrellas in bins outside the hall for people to use. Delegates can't bring them inside for security reasons, so after you use the umbrella, you drop it off for the next person to use. That sounds like creeping socialism." –Jay Leno

1. "It looks like Hurricane Isaac has delayed the Republican convention for one day. See, I think the Republicans should use these 60-mile an-hour winds to their advantage. Mitt Romney should walk about there and go, here are my tax returns for the last 10 years....Oh my gosh, what happened?'" –Jay Leno

And we can't forget old man talking to an empty chair...

Email| Print | Comment

The week's 10 best political jokes – August 24, 2012

Akin announced that he is staying in the race. Is that a surprise?

Posted by: OhMyGov | 08:58 AM

10. "Today Todd Akin was named Democratic Party Employee of the Month." –David Letterman

9. "In a new interview, first lady Michelle Obama said she doesn’t have time to read 'Fifty Shades of Grey.' Then it got weird when she added, 'Again.'" –Jimmy Fallon

8. "Todd Akin, the Republican Senate candidate from Missouri, is under fire for his controversial comments that women who are 'legitimately raped are less likely to get pregnant.' The good news? Candidates who are legitimately that stupid are less likely to get elected." –Jay Leno

7. "Akin announced that he is staying in the race. Is that a surprise? A guy who that knows so little about a woman's body doesn't know when it's time to pull out." –Jay Leno

6. "Mitt Romney has asked Todd Akin to step down. That's too bad. Todd Akin was the guy to lead the Republican Party into the 16th century." –David Letterman

5. "I just think it's refreshing to see a famous redhead drunk and stripping that isn't Lindsay Lohan for a change." –Jimmy Kimmel

4. "Today the Republicans are getting ready for the convention. They're busy down there in Florida auditioning minorities." –David Letterman

3. "Six days after Paul Ryan was picked to be Mitt Romney's running mate, a shirtless photo of him finally turned up on TMZ. The photo of Ryan with his wife was taken six years ago while they were on vacation in Oklahoma, which raises an interesting question: Who goes on vacation in Oklahoma?" –Jimmy Kimmel

2. "President Obama said today he is sticking with Joe Biden. Which means one of two things – either he thinks Biden is doing a good job or Hillary said no." –Jay Leno

1. "Are you excited about Paul Ryan? He's a far, far-right ideologue. The Republican base loves him. He's kind of an English-speaking version of Sarah Palin." –Bill Maher


Top Ten Congressman Kevin Yoder Excuses (for skinny-dipping naked in the Sea of Galilee)

10. "What's the big deal, I was naked the whole trip"
9. "It was spring break; chill out"
8. "People in the Middle East are pretty easygoing about nudity"
7. "In my defense, I had been drinking heavily"
6. "Trying to take the focus off Mitt Romney's taxes"
5. "It had been days since a congressman did something embarrassing"
4. "It's Obama's fault"
3. "Putting the 'junk' in 'congressional junket'"
2. "I can't swim naked, but Barney Frank can walk around like this?"
1. "That's how we party in Kansas"

More for our Maher fans...

"This ticket is supposed to be so anti-government and pro-business. Paul Ryan has been in government his whole life, practically from kindergarten. You know what the only business experience Paul Ryan guy has? As a teenager he drove the Oscar Mayer Wienermoble. A Republican inside a wiener. Usually it's the other way around." –Bill Maher

"It's only been six days that they've been together as a ticket, and already Paul Ryan is flip-flopping on everything. All week long, Romney has been attacking Obama on his $700 billion in Medicare cuts. Apparently Ryan in his plan had the exact same thought, until yesterday when Romney announced that Ryan had changed his position. They say this happens to everybody who gets too close to Mitt Romney. Suddenly your most firmly held beliefs just vanish. In fact the only way to avoid it is by only looking at a reflection of Romney in the mirror." –Bill Maher

"Why is everything so off limits with Mitt Romney? We can't ask him about his taxes, we can't ask him about Bain Capital, his business for 25 years, we can't ask him about his religion. How can a guy who is such a boring cypher have so many secrets? It’s like waterboarding Ryan Seacrest." –Bill Maher

"New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is doing the keynote speech at the Republican Convention. He didn't want to, but they're going to lure him in by having Paul Ryan drive the Wienermobile." –Bill Maher

"New Rule: Stop implying that this Romney/Ryan bromance is somehow gay. You act like you’ve never seen an older millionaire take a bright young lad under his wing, dress in matching outfits and exchange doting looks while teaming up to save the country. It happens all the time and there’s nothing gay about it." –Bill Maher

Email| Print | Comment

The week's 10 best political jokes – August 17, 2012

This VP is a cheesehead. Remember, last time it was an airhead?

Posted by: OhMyGov | 07:03 AM

10. "Mitt Romney said he wants to cut funding for things like Amtrak and PBS, both of which are subsidized by the government. I don't like the idea of cutting funds for PBS. Things are bad enough already. One of the Muppets is living in a garbage can." –Jimmy Kimmel

9. "We're learning more and more about the Wisconsin Congressman. Apparently, he's a huge Green Bay Packers fan. See, that shows you how far the Republicans have progressed - this time, their VP is a cheesehead. Remember, last time it was an airhead. That was totally different." –Jay Leno

8. "Paul Ryan is full of excitement, he's drawing big crowds. The only thing holding Paul Ryan back now according to political experts is Mitt Romney." –David Letterman

7. "New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is going to be the keynote speaker at the Republican National Convention, and wherever Chris Christie goes you know what that means. That's right, unlimited bread sticks." –David Letterman

6. "According to a new poll, atheism is becoming more and more popular among Americans. God only knows why." –Jay Leno

5. "Porn star Jenna Jameson has come out for Mitt Romney. So this election could have a happy ending after all." –Jay Leno

4. "Mitt Romney has picked Paul Ryan as his running mate. Experts say Ryan can add something vital to this campaign that Mitt Romney lacks: a personality." –Jay Leno

3. "Paul Ryan likes to hunt and we all know that a vice president who hunts is always a good choice." –David Letterman

2. "North Korea could test a nuclear missile in two weeks. North Korea says this launch will go much better than previous ones because they got twice as much Diet Coke and Mentos." –Jimmy Fallon

1. "How many of you have the Paul Ryan fever? They say that Paul Ryan will humanize Romney. And I thought, hell, an amoeba could humanize Romney." – David Letterman

David Letterman's Top 10 Little-Known Facts About Paul Ryan

10. He's only the 32nd white guy to become Republican vice presidential nominee.
9. Was runner-up on Season 3 of "The Bachelorette."
8. Always shampoos once, conditions twice.
7. Got his start in Congress as John Boehner's tanning boy.
6. Claims to be "a lady in the streets, but a freak in the sheets."
5. Like the rest of America, wonders what Romney is hiding in his tax returns.
4. Has a good feeling about this Jennifer Aniston marriage working out.
3. Eats nothing but plants, berries and small turtles.
2. Even before working at Oscar Meyer, had reputation for "driving the wienermobile."
1. Born in Kenya.

Email| Print | Comment

The week's 10 best political jokes – August 10, 2012

Mayor Bloomberg's crusade...

Posted by: OhMyGov | 05:54 AM

10. "All in all a successful trip. Best of all, Romney has checked three countries off the list of '1000 Places To Offend People Before You Die.'" –Stephen Colbert

9. "Why don't they allow professional wrestling at the Olympics? They allow pro basketball players and hockey players. Olympic pro wrestling would be awesome. The team from Mexico could wear those Mr. X masks. The French wrestler could hit his opponent with a baguette. Or perhaps just surrender." –Craig Ferguson

8. "This crisis has pitted brother against lower cholesterol brother. It's like the Civil War, if you replace slavery with waffle fries." –Stephen Colbert on the Chick-Fil-A controversy

7. "Olympic officials have disqualified a champion race walker after determining that he was doping. They disqualified him. The man said getting caught doping is almost as embarrassing as getting caught being a champion race walker." –Conan O'Brien

6. “I would like to congratulate the team at NASA’s jet propulsion lab. You deserve every missed high five of your celebration.” –Stephen Colbert

5. "Mayor Bloomberg is saying now that he has banned large sodas in New York City, his next target is going to be alcohol. Once that's out of the way he'll start his crusade against the laughter of children." –Conan O'Brien

4. "Mitt Romney is claiming he’s going to create 12 million jobs in his first term. But he hasn’t said yet if he’ll create them in China or India.” –Conan O'Brien

3. "It's now come out just before his record-breaking 100-meter dash, gold medalist Usain Bolt ate at McDonald's. Apparently he timed his meal so when the race started he would have exactly 9.63 seconds to get to a toilet." –Conan O'Brien

2. "They're calling it the worst drought in 56 years. That seems to me unnecessarily negative. Couldn't it be the best drought in 56 years?" –Jimmy Kimmel

1. "Tough Olympic news for the Romneys. Ann Romney's horse Rafalka did not advance to the Olympic finals. Apparently it was beat by a smooth-talking socialist horse from Kenya." –Conan O'Brien

Email| Print | Comment