#1329: Susanne Atanus

A candidate called “S. Atanus”? Seriously? But the name is not the only thing that makes Susanne Atanus sound like a cartoon villain.

Now, primaries in election seasons tend to bring out some rabid lunatics, and Susanne Atanus is a fine specimen. Atanus was a candidate in the 2014 Republican primary for the right to challenge incumbent Rep. Jan Schakowsky in Illinois’s 9th district. She ran on a fundamentalist wingnut platform, and has for instance said she believes God controls the weather and has put tornadoes and diseases such as autism and dementia on earth as punishment for gay rights and legalized abortions. ” (Yes, she is also a global warming denialist.) “God is angry,” said Atanus. “We are provoking him with abortions and same-sex marriage and civil unions. Same-sex activity is going to increase AIDS. If it’s in our military it will weaken our military. We need to respect God.” Atanus had previously claimed that the stock market crash of 1929 didn’t actually happen.

She consequently won that primary.

Diagnosis: Good grief.