From Count Binface to AI Steve: why are we voting for joke candidates?

He’s an intergalactic space warrior from the planet Sigma 9 and a part-time politician on Earth. He also wants to nationalise the singer Adele, abolish the auto-renew function for online subscriptions, cap the price of ice creams and he has a giant garbage bin for a head. Count Binface is a contender in the by-election for the parliamentary seat of Clacton in the UK. He’s up against Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, who resigned from the seat in July amid scrutiny over his personal finances.…