Ken Bone (personality)

Last updated

Ken Bone
Ken Bone by Gage Skidmore.jpg
Bone at the 2017 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC)
Born1982 (age 41–42)
NationalityAmerican
OccupationPower plant worker
Years active2016–present
Known for2016 presidential debate appearance

Kenneth Bone (born 1982) is an American citizen who became a viral phenomenon after asking a question as an undecided voter at the October 9 presidential debate during the 2016 United States election. Bone subsequently received national media attention and inspired a large number of Internet memes.

Contents

2016 election

At the October 9 presidential debate during the 2016 United States elections, Ken Bone, a coal power plant operator from Belleville, Illinois, was one of several local undecided voters invited to participate in the debate between Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and Republican nominee Donald Trump. [1] [2] Bone asked the question:

What steps will your energy policy take to meet our energy needs while at the same time remaining environmentally friendly and minimizing job loss for fossil power plant workers? [3]

Bone quickly became a viral sensation on social media, immediately gaining over 80,000 followers on Twitter after the debate. [2] Multiple parody and fan pages were created under his name on various platforms. [1] Bone's red sweater, use of a disposable camera before and after the debate, and general demeanor was received positively by viewers of the event, and spawned numerous Internet memes. [4] [5] [6] Bone maintained that he would remain an undecided voter after the debate. [7] He ultimately voted for Clinton in the 2016 presidential election. [8]

After the debate, Bone made appearances on Jimmy Kimmel Live! , [9] [10] @midnight , [11] and ESPN College GameDay . [12] Bone was also parodied on Saturday Night Live and The Ellen DeGeneres Show . [13] [14] [15] Bone capitalized on his sudden fame by endorsing ridesharing company Uber with a tweet, [16] filming a commercial for Izod, [17] and partnering with merchandise company Represent to market T-shirts. [18] An emoji with Bone's likeness was briefly available on Twitter, and would appear whenever the hashtag #MyVote2016 was used. [19] [20] Bone also auctioned off the red sweater he wore during the debate, raising $10,000 for the charity Greater St. Louis Honor Flight. [13]

On October 13, 2016, Bone hosted a Reddit AMA under the username "StanGibson18". [21] After the post went live, Bone received backlash for comments he previously made using his personal account regarding the 2014 celebrity nude photo leak and killing of Trayvon Martin. [22] [23] [24] [25] As a result of the media attention, Bone was also swatted and received threats directed at him and his family. [13]

Post-election

Bone with an attendee at the 2017 Conservative Political Action Conference Ken Bone with attendee (33093849746).jpg
Bone with an attendee at the 2017 Conservative Political Action Conference

Bone continued to make public appearances related to United States politics after the 2016 election, appearing on Real Time with Bill Maher and at the 2017 Conservative Political Action Conference. [26] [27] Since 2016, Bone expressed dissatisfaction towards the Trump administration, implying that he would likely vote for Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election and later endorse Andrew Yang. [13] [28] [29] Bone voted for Libertarian Party nominee Jo Jorgensen in the 2020 election. [8] He was the subject of an October 2020 New Yorker documentary, in which he reflects on the 2016 election and the effect fame had on his life. [30]

Personal life

Bone is married to Heather Bone, whom he met in high school. They have a son named Logan. [31]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 United States presidential election</span> 58th quadrennial U.S. presidential election

The 2016 United States presidential election was the 58th quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 8, 2016. The Republican ticket, businessman Donald Trump and Indiana governor Mike Pence defeated the Democratic ticket of former secretary of state and First Lady of the United States Hillary Clinton and the junior senator from Virginia, Tim Kaine, in what was considered one of the biggest political upsets in American history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gary Johnson 2016 presidential campaign</span> Political campaign

The 2016 presidential campaign of Gary Johnson, the 29th Governor of New Mexico, was announced on January 6, 2016, for the nomination of the Libertarian Party for President of the United States. He officially won the nomination on May 29, 2016, at the Libertarian National Convention in Orlando, Florida, receiving 56% of the vote on the second ballot. Former Massachusetts Governor William Weld was endorsed by Johnson for the Libertarian vice-presidential nomination, which he also received on May 29, 2016.

The 2016 United States presidential debates were a series of debates held for the presidential election. The Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD), a bipartisan organization formed in 1987, organized three debates among the major presidential candidates. The first of these presidential debates took place on September 26, 2016, and set the record as the most-watched debate in American history, with 84 million viewers. The second debate took place on October 9, and the third took place on October 19. All CPD debates occurred from approximately 9 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. EDT. Only the Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and the Republican nominee Donald Trump met the criteria for inclusion in the debates, and thus were the only two to appear in the debates sponsored by the Commission on Presidential Debates. The CPD-sponsored vice presidential debate took place on October 4, 2016. Only Democratic nominee Tim Kaine and Republican nominee Mike Pence appeared in it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 New Hampshire Republican presidential primary</span>

The 2016 New Hampshire Republican presidential primary, which took place on February 9, was the second major vote of the cycle. Donald Trump was declared the winner with 35.3% of the popular vote and picked up 11 delegates, while John Kasich emerged from a pack of candidates between 10-20% to capture second place with 15.8% of the vote and picked up four delegates.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 United States Senate election in Michigan</span>

The 2020 United States Senate election in Michigan was held on November 3, 2020, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent Michigan. It was held concurrently with the 2020 U.S. presidential election, as well as other elections to the United States Senate, elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Social media in the 2016 United States presidential election</span>

Social media played an important role in shaping the course of events leading up to, during, and after the 2016 United States presidential election. It enabled people to have a greater interaction with the political climate, controversies, and news surrounding the candidates. Unlike traditional news platforms, such as newspapers, radio, and magazines, social media gave people the ability to comment below a candidate's advertisement, news surrounding the candidates, or articles regarding the policy of the candidates. It also allowed people to formulate their own opinions on public forums and sites and allowed for greater interaction among voters. The accessibility of information online enabled more voters to educate themselves on candidates' positions on issues, which in turn enabled them to form unique opinions on candidates and vote on those opinions, ultimately impacting the election's outcome.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 United States Senate election in Colorado</span>

The 2020 United States Senate election in Colorado was held on November 3, 2020, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of Colorado, concurrently with the 2020 U.S. presidential election, as well as other elections to the United States Senate, elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020–21 United States Senate election in Georgia</span>

The 2020–21 United States Senate election in Georgia was held on November 3, 2020, and on January 5, 2021, to elect the Class II member of the United States Senate to represent the State of Georgia. Democrat Jon Ossoff defeated incumbent Republican Senator David Perdue in the runoff election. The general election was held concurrently with the 2020 presidential election, as well as with other elections to the Senate, elections to the U.S. House of Representatives and various state and local elections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 United States Senate election in Iowa</span>

The 2020 United States Senate election in Iowa was held on November 3, 2020, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of Iowa, concurrently with the 2020 U.S. presidential election, as well as other elections to the United States Senate in other states and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. Primaries were held on June 2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 United States Senate election in Montana</span> American election

The 2020 United States Senate election in Montana was held on November 3, 2020, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of Montana. It was held concurrently with the 2020 U.S. presidential election, as well as other elections to the United States Senate in other states, elections to the United States House of Representatives, and various state and local elections. The primaries for both the Democratic and Republican nominations took place on June 2, 2020. Incumbent senator Steve Daines won the Republican primary, while Montana Gov. Steve Bullock won the Democratic primary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 United States Senate election in Maine</span> U.S. Senate election in Maine

The 2020 United States Senate election in Maine was held on November 3, 2020, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of Maine, concurrently with the 2020 U.S. presidential election, as well as other elections to the United States Senate, elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. This was Maine's first election for its Class 2 seat to use its ranked choice voting system. Because the first round of the general election saw a majority (51%), the instant runoff tabulation of more than 800,000 ballots was not carried out.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 United States Senate election in Kentucky</span>

The 2020 United States Senate election in Kentucky was held on November 3, 2020, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the Commonwealth of Kentucky, concurrently with the 2020 U.S. presidential election, as well as other elections to the United States Senate, elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. Incumbent Republican Senator Mitch McConnell, who had been Senate Majority Leader since 2015 and senator from Kentucky since 1985, won reelection to a seventh term in office. He faced off against former U.S. Marine fighter pilot Amy McGrath and Libertarian Brad Barron.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 United States Senate election in New Hampshire</span>

The 2020 United States Senate election in New Hampshire was held on November 3, 2020, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of New Hampshire, concurrently with the 2020 U.S. presidential election, as well as other elections to the United States Senate, elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. Incumbent Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen won reelection to a third term after comfortably defeating Republican nominee Bryant Messner by 15.6 points and sweeping every single county in the state. This marked the first Senate election since 1972 in which the Democrat carried Belknap County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 United States Senate election in North Carolina</span>

The 2020 United States Senate election in North Carolina was held on November 3, 2020, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of North Carolina, concurrently with the 2020 United States presidential election as well as other elections to the United States Senate in other states and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. North Carolina was one of just five states holding presidential, gubernatorial, and senatorial elections concurrently in 2020. On March 3, 2020, Republican incumbent Thom Tillis and Democratic former state senator Cal Cunningham won their respective primaries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 North Carolina gubernatorial election</span>

The 2020 North Carolina gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 2020, to elect the Governor of North Carolina, concurrently with the 2020 U.S. presidential election, as well as elections to one-third of the United States Senate and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. Incumbent Democratic Governor Roy Cooper was eligible to run for re-election to a second term in office, and announced his intention to do so on December 5, 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Biden 2020 presidential campaign</span> 2020 presidential campaign

On April 25, 2019, former vice president Joe Biden released a video announcing his candidacy in the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries. On November 3, 2020, Biden and his running mate, Kamala Harris, defeated incumbent Republican president Donald Trump and vice president Mike Pence in the general election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 United States Senate special election in Arizona</span> Election of US Senator Mark Kelly

The 2020 United States Senate special election in Arizona was held on November 3, 2020, following the death in office of incumbent Republican U.S. Senator John McCain on August 25, 2018. Governor Doug Ducey was required by Arizona law to appoint a Republican to fill the vacant seat until a special election winner could be sworn in. On September 5, 2018, Ducey appointed former U.S. Senator Jon Kyl to fill McCain's seat. However, Kyl announced he would resign on December 31, 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 United States presidential election in Michigan</span> Election in Michigan

The 2020 United States presidential election in Michigan was held on Tuesday, November 3, 2020, as part of the 2020 United States presidential election in which all 50 states plus the District of Columbia participated. Michigan voters chose electors to represent them in the Electoral College via a popular vote, pitting the Republican Party's nominee, incumbent President Donald Trump of Florida, and his running mate, Vice President Mike Pence of Indiana against Democratic Party nominee, former Vice President Joe Biden of Delaware, and his running mate, Senator Kamala Harris of California. Michigan had 16 electoral votes in the Electoral College.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 United States presidential election</span> 60th quadrennial U.S. presidential election

The 2024 United States presidential election will be the 60th quadrennial presidential election, scheduled for Tuesday, November 5, 2024. Voters will elect a president and vice president for a term of four years. Incumbent President Joe Biden, a member of the Democratic Party, is running for re-election. His predecessor Donald Trump, a member of the Republican Party, is running for re-election to a second, nonconsecutive term. If Trump wins, he would become the second president to achieve nonconsecutive terms, after Grover Cleveland. If both Biden and Trump are nominated by their respective parties, it would mark the first presidential rematch since 1956. A number of primary election challengers have also declared their candidacies for the nomination of both major parties. The winner of this election is scheduled to be inaugurated on January 20, 2025. It will occur at the same time as elections to the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House; several states will also be holding gubernatorial and state legislative elections.

Social media was used extensively in the 2020 United States presidential election. Both incumbent president Donald Trump and Democratic Party nominee Joe Biden's campaigns employed digital-first advertising strategies, prioritizing digital advertising over print advertising in the wake of the pandemic. Trump had previously utilized his Twitter account to reach his voters and make announcements, both during and after the 2016 election. The Democratic Party nominee Joe Biden also made use of social media networks to express his views and opinions on important events such as the Trump administration's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the protests following the murder of George Floyd, and the controversial appointment of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court.

References

  1. 1 2 Ahmed, Saeed (October 10, 2016). "And the winner of the presidential debate is... Ken Bone | CNN Politics". CNN. Archived from the original on December 5, 2023. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
  2. 1 2 Stump, Scott (October 11, 2016). "Ken Bone is the hero America needs right now". TODAY.com. Archived from the original on December 5, 2023. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
  3. ↑ Griffin, Andrew (October 17, 2016). "The real winner of the presidential debate has been crowned". The Independent. Archived from the original on December 5, 2023. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
  4. ↑ Reinstein, Julia (October 10, 2016). "Just 27 Really, Really Good Tweets About Debate Hero Ken Bone". BuzzFeed News. Archived from the original on December 5, 2023. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
  5. ↑ Chan, Melissa (October 11, 2016). "10 of the Best Ken Bone Memes on the Internet". Time. Archived from the original on December 5, 2023. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
  6. ↑ Garber, Megan (October 10, 2016). "Ken Bone, the Hero America Needed". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on December 5, 2023. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
  7. ↑ Nelson, Louis (October 10, 2016). "Internet phenomenon Ken Bone: Debate 'got very uncomfortable from up close'". POLITICO. Archived from the original on December 5, 2023. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
  8. 1 2 Hall, Louise (October 7, 2020). "2016 viral debate star Ken Bone reveals who he voted for this year". The Independent. Archived from the original on December 5, 2023. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
  9. ↑ Chan, Melissa (October 11, 2016). "Ken Bone's Jimmy Kimmel Interview Shows Why the Internet Loves Him". Time. Archived from the original on December 5, 2023. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
  10. ↑ Holub, Christian. "Jimmy Kimmel Asks Debate Star Ken Bone If He's Still Undecided". EW.com. Archived from the original on December 5, 2023. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
  11. ↑ Washington, Arlene (October 13, 2016). "Ken Bone Reacts to Favorite Twitter Mentions, Sexy Halloween Costume on '@Midnight'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on December 5, 2023. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
  12. ↑ "Ken Bone makes surprise appearance on 'College GameDay,' and we're really still doing this | Sporting News". www.sportingnews.com. October 15, 2016. Archived from the original on December 5, 2023. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
  13. 1 2 3 4 "The most famous 'undecided voter' has big problems with Trump". cnn.com. Archived from the original on December 5, 2023. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
  14. ↑ "Watch Saturday Night Live Tackle Ken Bone and Trump's Bizarre Debate Behavior". Vanity Fair. October 16, 2016. Archived from the original on March 21, 2023. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
  15. ↑ Leibowitz, Lauren (October 16, 2016). "'Weird Little Creep' Ken Bone Wins the 'SNL' Cold-Open Debate". Thrillist. Archived from the original on December 5, 2023. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
  16. ↑ "Ken Bone may have violated FTC rules with Uber tweet (updated)". Engadget. October 13, 2016. Archived from the original on December 5, 2023. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
  17. ↑ O'Reilly, Lara. "Ken Bone is starring in an ad for the brand that makes his now famous red sweater". Business Insider. Archived from the original on December 5, 2023. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
  18. ↑ Vielma, Antonio José (October 13, 2016). "Ken Bone lands Uber endorsement and t-shirt deal". CNBC. Archived from the original on October 17, 2016. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
  19. ↑ Wehner, Mike (November 8, 2016). "Ken Bone gets his own Twitter emoji—about 15 minutes too late". The Daily Dot. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
  20. ↑ Collins, Eliza. "Ken Bone is featured in an Election Day emoji, because of course he is". USA TODAY.
  21. ↑ "I'm American citizen, undecided voter, loving husband Ken Bone, Welcome to the Bone Zone! AMA". Reddit. October 14, 2016. Archived from the original on December 11, 2023. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
  22. ↑ "Ken Bone Revealed Freaky, NSFW Reddit History by Accident". GQ. October 14, 2016. Archived from the original on November 1, 2020. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
  23. ↑ Earl, Jennifer (October 14, 2016). "The internet's calling out Ken Bone over his Reddit history – CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. Archived from the original on December 5, 2023. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
  24. ↑ Sykes, Tom (October 14, 2016). "Ken Bone's Disturbing Reddit History Shows He's Not Nearly as Adorable as We Thought". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on January 19, 2024. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
  25. ↑ O'Brien, Sara Ashley (October 14, 2016). "Ken Bone leaves seedy comment trail on Reddit". CNNMoney. Archived from the original on December 5, 2023. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
  26. ↑ "Ken Bone Returns: Bill Maher Grills Viral Sensation on Who He Voted For". EW.com. Archived from the original on December 5, 2023. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
  27. ↑ "Ken Bone Is Going to Appear at CPAC". Time. February 21, 2017. Archived from the original on December 5, 2023. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
  28. ↑ Bowden, John (February 3, 2020). "Ken Bone endorses Andrew Yang for president: '#YangGang all the way!'". The Hill. Archived from the original on May 9, 2023. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
  29. ↑ Wyrich, Andrew (February 3, 2020). "Ken Bone dons iconic red sweater to endorse Andrew Yang". The Daily Dot. Archived from the original on December 5, 2023. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
  30. ↑ Fry, Naomi (October 14, 2020). "Ken Bone and the Legend of the Undecided Voter". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on December 5, 2023. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
  31. ↑ Chester, Tim (October 10, 2016). "Ken Bone: From regular guy in a red sweater to America's last hope". Mashable. Archived from the original on December 5, 2023. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.