Front & Center: Rupert Boneham

Rupert Boneham once earned enough votes to win the title of “America’s favorite Survivor.” Can the Libertarian fare as well in his bid for the governorship? We asked a few of his former opponents.

Richard Hatch

Survivor: All-Stars

“He’s not a hippie—a hippie would have some commitment to ideals. He’s pretty vacant. I don’t think people do enough research in selecting their representatives. I fear he could be elected.”

“I think he’d fit right into the phony world that is politics. I don’t perceive him to be a very bright human being. No chance I’d vote for him. None. “

Kathy (Vavrick) O’Brien

Survivor: All-Stars

“He can work a crowd, he’s got a big heart, and he’s trustworthy. But he’d need to get some smart people around him.”

“He’s basically a great guy. He has a heart of gold, and he’d just have to stay on task and try to surround himself with the right people. Otherwise, he’ll get eaten up and spit out”

Blindside!

Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains

“It’s obviously a publicity stunt. Transparent as glass.”

“No comment. I prefer not to aid idiocracy.”

Jon Dalton, a.k.a. “Jonny Fairplay”

Survivor: Pearl Islands

“You need a black heart to play Survivor effectively, and Rupert lacks that. He might be too honest to be a politician. My ex-wife is from Terre Haute, and I think she and her family deserve Rupert as their governor. That’s meant exactly as it sounds.”

Shii Anne Huang

Survivor: All-Stars

“I would consider voting for him, but I don’t know if Survivor skills translate into being a good governor. He’s an honest person, but is that the skill set you need for government?”

“In terms of his personality, he’s a great guy who’d definitely try to be good. I don’t think he would be corrupt.”

Illustration by Sean McCabe.

This article originally appeared in the March 2012 issue.