1. Jedi Knight

The people of Rockingham County, North Carolina passed on the opportunity to elect light-saber-wielding Jedi Christopher Knight to their school board. They chose instead to go over to the dark side.

2. Mike Gravel stares

The Great State of Alaska saw fit to elect Democrat Mike Gravel to the United States Senate twice, once in 1969 and again in 1981. When 2008 rolled around, Gravel decided it was time to step his game up and run for President of the whole dadgum United States.

In his presidential campaign ad below, which was apparently produced by a couple of art teachers, Gravel stares into the camera silently for a solid minute, turns around, throws a random rock into the water, then spends another minute walking out of view of the camera. When asked what the deal was with this ad, Gravel said, “he’s trying to make a change in society and then he’s going on with his life, or to death, who knows.”

3. Jeff Wagner: man of the people

Jeff Wagner pledged to not go to the strip club anymore if the people of Minneapolis would just elect him as their mayor. How that message didn’t resonate with the voters, we’ll never fully understand.

4. Metalhead Jedrzej Wijas

If you were starting to wonder if the insanity was limited to the United States, don’t. During his run for Poland’s parliament, 34-year-old politician Jedrzej Wijas went after his country’s apparently large voting bloc of metalheads.

According to Google translate, he’s saying (screaming), “End the useless talking. Enough of the stupid wars. Secular government. Dignified life. Freedom is my goal. Vote wisely.”

5. Roland Sledge for Texas Railroad Commissioner, because he won’t urinate on an electric fence

Are these the worst political ads you’ve ever seen? If you’ve got a favorite, let us know in the comment section below or by tweeting @YHPolitics.

Follow Cliff on Twitter @Cliff_Sims