Politics usually feels like a scripted drama where the ending is already spoiled. But back in 2015, a 15-year-old from Iowa managed to throw a wrench into the whole machine using nothing but a laptop and a crude joke from a 1992 Dr. Dre album.
His name was Brady Olson. Most people knew him as Deez Nuts, the independent presidential candidate who somehow climbed to nearly 10% in the polls.
It wasn't just a prank. Honestly, it was a moment where the American public collectively decided they’d rather vote for a meme than the actual options on the ballot. If you think today's political climate is weird, you've gotta look back at how a sophomore in high school became the most famous third-party candidate since Ross Perot.
How a 15-Year-Old Hijacked the 2016 Election
Everything started in Wallingford, Iowa. Population? About 200. Brady Olson was sitting at home, frustrated with the "gridlocked" two-party system. He did what any bored, politically-engaged teenager would do: he filed a Form 2 "Statement of Candidacy" with the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
He used the name "Deez Nuts."
Now, the FEC doesn't actually check if you’re a real human being or if you meet the 35-year-old age requirement when you first file. They just process the paperwork. This loophole is basically why we ended up with hundreds of candidates like "Limberbutt McCubbins" (a literal cat) and "Captain Crunch" on the official lists.
But Olson took it a step further. He emailed Public Policy Polling (PPP) and asked them to include him in their next survey.
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To his shock—and probably everyone else's—they said yes.
The 9% Shockwave
When the results from North Carolina dropped in August 2015, the political world lost its mind. Against Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, the deez nuts presidential candidate pulled in 9% of the vote.
Think about that for a second.
One in ten voters in a swing state looked at a list of names and chose a joke. He eventually polled at 8% in Iowa and Minnesota, too.
The Policy Behind the Prank
You might assume the platform was just more jokes, but Olson actually put some thought into it. He wasn't just trolling; he was a libertarian-leaning kid with specific views. He told The New York Times and Rolling Stone that he supported:
- A Balanced Budget: He wanted the government to stop spending more than it makes.
- The Iran Nuclear Deal: He actually backed the Obama-era diplomacy.
- Green Energy: He proposed cutting oil subsidies in favor of tax incentives for eco-friendly tech.
- Deporting Undocumented Adults: His stance on immigration was much firmer than his views on social issues.
He even had a VP pick in mind: Limberbutt McCubbins, the Democratic cat from Kentucky. He eventually said he'd be willing to drop out and serve as Vice President for Bernie Sanders, John Kasich, or Gary Johnson.
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It was a weird mix of Gen Z irony and genuine "common sense" politics.
Why the FEC Had to Change the Rules
The government wasn't laughing for long. By 2016, the FEC was drowning in "bozo" filings. Before the Deez Nuts phenomenon, about 200 to 400 people would register for president. In 2016, that number tripled to over 1,800.
Processing paperwork for "Beast Mode" and "Butt Stuff" was costing taxpayers real money and wasting staff time.
By August 2016, the FEC announced a crackdown. They started sending verification letters to any candidate with an "implausible" name. If you didn't respond within 30 days, they'd scrub you from the public database. Brady Olson basically forced the federal government to implement a "No Pranksters" policy because he was too successful at the game.
The Legacy of a Meme Candidate
What does it say about us that a teenager from Iowa could outpoll established politicians?
Jim Williams, an analyst at PPP, famously said that you could call a third-party candidate almost anything—literally anything—and they’d get 7% or 8% of the vote just because they aren't a Republican or a Democrat.
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Deez Nuts was the ultimate "None of the Above" option.
In a later poll in Texas, he even beat out Jill Stein and the deceased gorilla Harambe. People weren't necessarily voting for Olson; they were voting against the status quo.
Today, Brady Olson has moved on. He went to the University of Iowa to study finance and told local reporters he doesn't plan on running for office again. But the deez nuts presidential candidate remains a legendary case study in how social media, a frustrated electorate, and a simple FEC form can create a national news cycle out of thin air.
What You Can Learn from the Deez Nuts Campaign
If you're looking at the current political landscape and feeling like nothing makes sense, remember that the "Nuts" campaign proved three specific things about American politics:
- Polls are fragile: Early polling often reflects name recognition or "protest" energy rather than actual intent to vote.
- The Two-Party Frustration is Real: The fact that a 15-year-old could garner national headlines shows how desperate people are for a "third way," even if that way is a meme.
- Bureaucracy has gaps: The FEC's "process first, verify later" approach allowed for a level of transparency—and chaos—that is much harder to achieve now.
To keep track of how third-party candidates are actually impacting the current cycle, you should check official FEC filings and non-partisan trackers like Ballotpedia rather than relying solely on viral social media polls. Verify the age and eligibility of "outsider" candidates before getting swept up in the hype.