From the Archives: 2010 Basil Marceaux

Perennial candidate raises the question of whether fans are laughing with him or at him

CHATTANOOGA (WDEF) – It may not be fair to call him a politician, but Basil Marceaux has made a career out of running for public office.

And even though he has never actually won any of those races, his efforts have won him a national audience.

To be fair, his fame comes from his outlandish claims on the way things should be.

Basil has run for Mayor, Congress and Governor, many times.

But his “issues” have earned him a national following on social media and even a spot on Jimmy Kimmel’s late night talk show.

He also has spun his campaign messages into viral videos and even a Christmas video.

In this story, we go back to 2010, when Basil’s campaign posts turned him into a YouTube star.

And Chattanoogans were wondering if he was good or bad for our image.

These days, Basil is still fighting the power in his seventies.

In fact, he was on the ballot last November running for Tennessee Governor again.  He finished last.