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Yes, Roseanne Barr is really running for president

Documents show her tweets are legit: She's a Green Party candidate.

 

Justin Franz

Tech

Posted on Feb 7, 2012   Updated on Jun 2, 2021, 9:47 pm CDT

Comedian Roseanne Barr has been keeping busy on Twitter in recent days, following her announcement on the message-broadcasting network that she would seek the Green Party nomination for president.

The Federal Election Commission’s website confirmed it was no joke: Barr  actually filed the appropriate paperwork.

Since her announcement, Barr, tweeting as @TheRealRoseanne, has been keeping fans and followers up to date on her long-shot candidacy. Barr, a standup comedian, became popular in the early 1990s through her eponymous sitcom, Roseanne, which has since gotten a second life in syndication (and on YouTube).

Barr’s decision to seek a third-party nomination puts her against some well-known Green politicians. It’s extremely unlikely she would actually seal the deal. She tweeted later on that she plans on supporting the Green Party nominee, even if she doesn’t win the party’s contest.

Since then, she has busied herself by interacting with her more than 102,000 followers, who number only about 4,000 fewer than GOP hopeful Rick Santorum’s. She’s also talked about the issues important to her and how she isn’t your normal presidential candidate.

“I am not the perfect politician nor the perfect candidate—I’m pretty flawed, but I don’t lie or steal or cheat [and] I know what is right,” she wrote.

Following the announcement, mentions of Barr spiked on Twitter. According to Topsy.com, on Friday more than 30,000 tweets mentioned her. Many of those mentioning her seemed excited at the prospect of her running, even if it is only to make some noise.

“Politics needs a loud mouth, someone who calls out everybody, not just the opposing part—that is why @TheRealRoseanne is running,” one follower wrote last week.

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*First Published: Feb 7, 2012, 11:23 am CST