The promise:
New Squamish councillor Peter Kent will have to set himself on fire. In a video posted to YouTube, Mr. Kent, a professional stuntman who worked as Arnold Schwarzenegger’s stunt double in Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Total Recall and Predator, pledged that if voter turnout in 2014 was higher than in 2011 (41.2 per cent), “I as a professional stuntman will set myself on fire in the centre of this street.”
And it worked:
According to CivicInfoBC, this year’s turnout was 44.5. Reached by email the morning after his election, Mr. Kent showed no signs of backing down, saying he is now looking into getting a district permit to set himself afire in accordance with city laws. "I would be remiss to break my first campaign promise, wouldn't I?" he wrote.
Now if only other politicians could be encouraged to put it all on the line like that for the causes they believe in.
Mary Landrieu is in desperate need of an increased turnout of Democratic voters, both black and white, for her runoff election. I wonder what stunt she could promise to get people to turn out for her agenda of opposition to "partial-birth abortion" and support for the Keystone XL pipeline?
Maybe she should consult with Mr. Kent for some campaign advice?