HBO Launches ‘Game Of Thrones’ Political Campaign Ads

It’s easy to feel glum about the state of world politics these days, but look on the bright side: at least we’ve got it better than the folks in the Seven Kingdoms. To mark the HD digital release of the show’s sixth season, HBO are throwing a Game of Thrones election, and the ballot doesn’t exactly inspire much confidence.

Of the four major candidates, the best option for voters is probably the recently reanimated Jon Snow, although to be honest the real draw is his running mate, 12-year-old Lyanna Mormont.

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Next up you’ve got Daenerys Targaryen, Westeros’ equivalent of a political outsider. Appeals to the disenfranchised, but once you cut through all the dragon-based rhetoric, what does she actually stand for? On the plus side, her pick for VP, Tyrion Lannister, has proven himself to be a shrewd political operator.

The same label could also be applied to candidate Petyr Baelish, a self-made man without the baggage that comes with being the member of an established political dynasty. Loses points for all the murder though.

Speaking of which, incumbent candidate Cersei Lannister has plenty of skeletons in her closet, and her pro-incest campaign platform is sure to raise a few eyebrows. Unsurprisingly, she’s running a highly negative campaign.

The good news is that her strategy appears to have backfired. With one day to go before the polls close, the current queen has garnered a measly two per cent of the popular vote, well behind the other three candidates who are just about neck and neck.

You can watch the rest of the campaign ads and cast your vote over here.