With Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton being arguably the two most disliked presidential candidates in our nation’s history, voters are interested in hearing from third-party candidates more than ever before. And now there’s a new option for them to check out — the GOT Party.
“For those who feel left out, for those who don’t see their banner on the ballot, for those who don’t like how the game is played, we demand strong leaders who stand for those who sacrifice, who know what it means to rise from nothing, who won’t hesitate to break the game,” reads the introduction video to HBO's "Game of Thrones" parody election site.
“By blade or by ballot,” the GOT Party is asking fans to vote for their favorite candidate for the Iron Throne before September 1, when they will announce the party’s official nominee. With a reported 19 million votes cast so far, the following four characters are in the running:
Leading the field at 38 percent, Jon Snow — with Lyanna Mormont as his running mate — will “lead our divided nation to victory through the Long Night against an army of the dead” by boosting military capabilities and creating an easy path to citizenship for those north of the Wall. He vows to grant the North its sovereignty, to rebuild the Night’s Watch, to allow free folk to settle in the Gift, to restore the rights of illegitimate children, and to prepare for the Long Night.
Polling at 36 percent, his closest rival, Daenerys Targaryen — with Tyrion Lannister as her running mate — has built a platform based on the principles of feminism, environmentalism, and imperialism. With her “unparalleled negotiation skills, board of diverse and trusted advisors, and proven track record of peacekeeping in volatile regions,” she strives to promote female empowerment, to rebuild the dragon population, and to unite Essos and Westeros into one free Known World.
Petyr “Littlefinger” Baelish — with Sansa Stark as his running mate — has managed to garner the support of 24 percent of the Seven Kingdoms and resembles a more conniving, well-thought-out Donald Trump. Although his “humble origins” were probably much more modest than the $1 million Trump’s father gave him to start his career, like Trump he is a political outsider, as he does not stem from any royal bloodlines. As the GOT candidate, Baelish vaguely pledges to “use his diplomatic and financial mastery to bring the Realm out of debt and usher in a new era of peace and prosperity.”
The incumbent, Cersei Lannister — with Qyburn as her running mate — currently has just 1.9 percent of the vote. She’s reminiscent of Hillary Clinton in that she’s an advocate of strong, centralized government, and she supports bailing out the Iron Bank, just as Clinton voted in favor of the Wall Street bailout. She also recently narrowly escaped criminal charges brought against her by the High Sparrow and hopes to reinstitute trial by combat. The redeeming qualities of her platform include family advocacy and separation of church and state.
Once having voted for their favorite candidate, fans can then pledge their support at either the Platinum, Valyrian, Gold, or Silver levels by re-watching the series or individual seasons, buying GOT Party shirts, or sharing #GOT2016 social media images.
“From the Reach to the Stormlands, the Wall to the Arbor — we, the GOT, demand new choices in leadership,” the site says. “The candidates have called their banners. Cast your vote to pick your side in the great wars to come.”