Clay Aiken (yes, that Clay Aiken) has officially announced his long rumored run for Congress in North Carolina, as a Democrat, and this introductory video is fascinating for a number of reasons, not the least of which being that it is five minutes long with no cuts. George Lakeoff might be appalled by the way Aiken contrasts tales of his abusive father with attacks on the incumbent for cutting military spending, but I find this video weirdly compelling.

I normally roll my eyes at celebrities running for high office, but I dunno. Aiken might surprise.