(Demon III #28, 29) - The demon Etrigan, backed by conservative Darrin W. Dingle III’s think-tank The Right-Wing Legacy Institute, ran in the Republican Party presidential primaries. Etrigan’s hellish vision of America’s future made him popular in the polls, causing President Bush to take notice of him. Bush ran a series of attack ads, and said that he couldn’t be President because he wasn’t a U.S. citizen, and Etrigan fired back, saying that even though he was born in Hell, it was a part of Hell underneath the United States. Dingle’s think tank started a rumor that Superman was a close personal friend and advisor to Etrigan, causing him to once again surge in the polls. Superman gave a highly publicized speech, denying he had any affiliation with Etrigan, denouncing his warlike ambitions, and telling the American people that he could save them from supervillains, but only they could save themselves from Etrigan. Dingle and his think tank met with Etrigan to discuss his prospects, since he no longer had a chance at the Presidential nomination after Superman’s speech tanked his momentum. Dingle rejected his team’s ideas of running as an independent or throwing in with the Democrats. Dingle had connections to the White House, and Bush was offering to dump Dan Quayle and offer Etrigan the vice-presidency if he threw his support behind Bush at the Republican Convention. Etrigan approved, making a veiled threat that he’d end up being President anyway after Bush died. Jason’s friends Glenda Mark, Harry Matthew and Randy Singh made sure Etrigan turned back into Blood and sat out the Republican Convention. Dingle nearly had a stroke when Etrigan’s speechwriter Patty Nonage conceded the nominations he’d gotten to Bush. Bush told Quayle to stop pouting because he was back on the ballot. Bush / Quayle won the Republican nomination, but weeks later Etrigan met with Superman, telling him he intended to run again in four years.

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