The (increasingly dangerous) sport of political chicken

By Willis Sparks 

Political figures of the left and right feud constantly, but in this case, the differences may be irreconcilable. Sue Lowden, Republican candidate for U.S. Senate from Nevada, suggested this week that chickens might serve as a useful means of exchange to help control America’s rising health care costs:

I’m telling you that this works. You know, before we all started having health care, in the olden days our grandparents, they would bring a chicken to the doctor, they would say I’ll paint your house. I mean, that’s the old days of what people would do to get health care with your doctors. Doctors are very sympathetic people. I’m not backing down from that system."

Recent polling gives Lowden a solid lead over the incumbent, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

But Bolivia’s President Evo Morales apparently thinks that’s a bad idea. On Tuesday, he warned that men who eat too much chicken will go bald and have "problems being men."

It remains unclear who might be able to resolve this dispute.

In Britain, David Cameron, leader of Britain’s Conservative Party, has been stalked on the campaign trail by a tabloid reporter wearing a chicken suit. On Wednesday, a 16-year old hit Cameron with an egg.

Can’t we all just get along?

Willis Sparks is an analyst in Eurasia Group’s Global Macro practice.