Forget Trump, Canada candidate slays dragons to nab votes

By Julie Gordon

VANCOUVER (Reuters) – He rides a Canada goose, slays a dragon and fist bumps an alien – and that’s just in the first 30 seconds of Wyatt Scott’s campaign video for the upcoming Canadian federal election.

Scott, an independent who is running to represent a region of rural British Columbia in the Oct. 19 vote, posted the attention-grabbing video on YouTube in mid-June, but it went viral this week after being shared widely in online forums.

“I’m here to fight for Canada,” Scott proclaims in the special-effect-heavy clip, jumping from the back of a giant Canada goose to stab a dragon through its head. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DG6fhub9HDQ&feature=youtu.be)

The 37-year-old Scott then saves a falling man and fist bumps an alien, all while outlining his views on the high cost of university and calling for expanded social services, along with more support for Canada’s aboriginal people.

While not as slick as the ads from Canada’s major parties, Scott’s on-screen antics could give Donald Trump, the bombastic billionaire seeking the Republican nomination for president in the U.S. election, a run for his money.

The bizarre video, which was produced by students recruited on Craigslist, is an effort to get people engaged in the campaign, Scott told Reuters.

“Obviously, we wanted to get some attention on what we’re doing here, so we came up with a clever little video,” he said.

Running as an independent means that while Scott, an entrepreneur and young father, does not have the support of a major party behind him, he is free to tailor his platform to appeal to voters in his community.

On his website, Scott lists “economy, equality, and education” as central to his plan, while advocating for domestic manufacturing, agriculture and green technologies.

And in what is surely an effort to tap into anti-establishment sentiment and young, hipster voters, his slogan is: “Think artisan politics, not partisan politics.”

Most polls show Canada’s federal election will be a tightly contested race between the ruling Conservatives and the official opposition New Democrats, with the Liberals well behind.

While it remains to be seen whether Scott’s skills as a dragon slayer will help him eek out voter support, the story has gotten the candidate international attention, with views of his video jumping by the second.

“Change is coming to Canada and I’m ready to lead that charge,” Scott says near the end of the clip, moments before zapping a threatening robot with his laser vision. “Are you ready for that shift?”

(Reporting by Julie Gordon; Editing by Leslie Adler)