The Guy Who Threw His Shoes At George W. Bush Is Running For Office In Iraq

Not sure about his platforms, but he sure has sole.

This guy, Muntazer al-Zaidi, is running for parliament in Iraq, and if you're not excited about that, you may not be used to seeing him from the front.

بعد التوكل على الله عقدنا العزم على كنس الفاسدين منتظر الزيدي #تحالف_سائرون 156 تسلسل 95 #العراق #الانتخابات_النيابية #الانتخابات_العراقية https://t.co/0rm5vF8VIf

Here's the vantage point most people will recognize him from: his role as The Shoe Thrower in the George W. Bush Shoeing Incident of 2008.

View this video on YouTube

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Yes, it was a little less than 10 years ago when the world was witness to this iconic moment.

In the aftermath, Zaidi was arrested and sent to prison for attacking a visiting head of state. He spent nine months in the big house — getting let go early for good behavior — before leaving the country for a while in 2009.

Now Zaidi is hoping to help set the course for Iraq's future. How's that for a potential reversal of fortune?

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A few folks on the internet, our site included, believed that Zaidi was running for president of Iraq. He even used his account to retweet this, which said as much:

Incase y'all didn't know, Muntadhar al-Zaidi, the Iraqi hero who threw his shoe at Bush in 2008 is running for president in the upcoming Iraqi elections. https://t.co/muqYyfuhlK

But, according to his announcement video, he's definitely running for the Council of Representatives, the country's parliament.

View this video on YouTube

youtube.com

You'd be forgiven for getting confused about who the current president of Iraq is and who wants the gig: The role is extremely ceremonial.

This guy, Fuad Masum, is the current office holder, having taken up the job in 2014. If our math checks out, that means he's still eligible to be president once again.

Iraq chooses its president in an even more roundabout way than the US does: The Iraqi parliament selects both the prime minister, who actually runs the government, and the president.

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That means the next election, due to take place May 12, will decide the entirety of Iraq's national government, and if Zaidi wins, he'll get to help choose the next president.

Unfortunately, he won't have the infamous shoes to use as a campaign prop — they were destroyed by US and Iraqi security back in 2008.

CORRECTION

Muntazer al-Zaidi is running for parliament in Iraq. A previous version of this article incorrectly said that he was running for president.

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