Francisco
Everardo Oliveira Silva, better known by his clown name Tiririca, received more
than 1.3 million votes in Sao Paulo state in Brazil's presidential and
congressional elections. That was more than double the votes of the
second-placed candidate in Brazil's most populous state. Tiririca caught the
attention of disillusioned voters by asking for their support with the humorous
slogan: "It can't get any worse" and a promise to do nothing more in
Congress than report back to them on how politicians spend their time.
"What does a congressman do? The truth is I don't know, but vote for me
and I'll tell you," the 45-year-old said in his campaign. The clown, whose
stage name means "grumpy," usually appears in public wearing a blond
wig, a red hat and a garish outfit. He survived a last-minute attempt by public
prosecutors to bar him from running because of evidence that he is illiterate.
