Joaquim Crima, a 37-year-old native of Guinea-Bissau, is running for municipal office in the Russian province of Volgograd (tucked between Ukraine and Kazakhstan. It’s a real place. We know because we looked it up). If elected he will be Russia’s first black elected official. Crima has adopted the Russian name Vasily Ivanovich and gained Russian citizenship. He grows and sells fruits and vegetables, mostly watermelons. A black person has never held office in Russia and very few have ever run. Read more here.
Local election officials however say Crima faces an uphill battle just to be taken seriously in Russia. “There is an impression that he is laughing at himself, saying ‘I am a Russian Obama’,” Viktor Sapozhnikov, chief of the district election commission, said.
Bookies’ odds Barack Obama will be assassinated: 12-1.
Bookies’ odds ‘Russian Obama’ will be assassinated: we’d rather not say.
