Maybe We Should Learn a Thing or Two From Romania About Voter Incentives?

So I saw this article from Reuters (written by Marius Zaharia), and had to summarize it. In an effort to lure voters to municipal elections in Bucharest, Romania, the candidates are resorting to eye popping tactics. For example, Victor Manea, a rotund candidate for mayor in Constanta (a Black Sea port city), which is nicknamed “the elephant,” actually walked an elephant through the town centre. He even joked that “it eats peas,” which is a reference to the current mayor Radu Ştefan Mazăre, whose last name means peas in Romanian.

Think that is far reaching? Then you should go to Arad, Romania, which is on the west coast. There, a candidate has printed on him sitting behind a long table together with 11 colleagues, signifying the “Last Supper.” In essence, he is trying to convince voters that he believes in his team and the voters.

If that is bad, then you would love what is happening in Bistrita, Romania, which is located in central Romania. Gelu Dragan, a candidate for city hall, has a banner of his own. However, he is not using a religious metaphor. Rather, he is displaying an image of a finger with a condom wrapped around it. He believes that this signifies that he will protect against corruption.

I am just curious, would any of these stunts get you out to vote for a certain candidate? If all three of the candidates were running against each other, who would you vote for and why?