[Via Rachel Maddow]: Several different Brazilian politicians are running for office using the pseudonym “Barack Obama.” This is made possible, according to Maddow and this article in the Guardian, by a quirk in Brazilian election law that allows candidates to run under whatever name they choose.
While I’m thrilled that Obama is popular among people who have no influence over whether he actually becomes president, I’m also curious. Does anyone know the history of this election law quirk, or what its intended purpose is?