Eschewing Halloween handouts, the 10 adult characters turned out to be Ralph Nader supporters who mocked George W. Bush and John Kerry for "corporate piracy" outside the Utah Republican Party headquarters.
During the skit, both candidates clad as pirates battled with a plastic sword and hook while a narrator called for their resignation from Skull & Bones, an organization founded at Yale University, which Nader supporters deride as an elite secret society.
"There are only 800 Bonesmen living, yet two of them purport to represent the entire spectrum of class and political opinion in this country," said Cat Woods, spokeswoman for Ralph Nader's Corporate Crimebusters, who played narrator. "This is not a real choice."
The Skull & Bones alumni network exists to promote fellow members to positions of power including intelligence agencies, investment firms and the U.S. State Department, Woods said. Bush and Kerry were also lampooned for taking money from corporate "pirates" Enron and CitiGroup.
"Plunder the treasure! Take the money," bellowed the Bush character, while fellow pirates tossed bogus bills.
"Hey, Nader's spoiling our game," the Kerry likeness replied later. "Make Nader walk the plank!"
Despite the masks, pirate flags and White House prop - two people even wore cardboard cutouts of boats that read "The Bad Ship Republican," and "The Bad Ship Democrat" - passers-by mostly ignored the group.
Woods, whose Nader organization is crossing the country on a 20-van tour, says reaction to the independent presidential candidate has been disappointing.
But the skits will keep coming.
In Casper, Wyo., the corporate crimebusters served Vice President Dick Cheney a fake subpoena in front of the Federal Building. And on Election Day, Utahns for Nader plan to stage an auction for president outside Salt Lake's City and County building.
Sipping on a bottle of rum, the Bush and Kerry caricatures ended the Halloween skit in agreement.
"Win or lose," they said, "We still have a pirate for President."
djensen@sltrib.com
