Ken Bone for President!

Last night, debate questioner Ken Bone captured the hearts of the Twitterverse with his cheery red sweater and disposable camera, with many declaring him a “National Treasure,” “a Real American Hero,” and the only winner to come out the entire mess.

The New York Times wasted no time interviewing him:

“I was excited to be a part of the political process and show people that their voices are being heard,” he said.

He was not nervous beforehand, even though he experienced a wardrobe malfunction earlier in the day. In an interview with CNN, Mr. Bone explained that his red sweater, the object of plenty of affection on social media, had not been his first option. He had planned to wear an olive suit.

“Apparently I’ve gained about 30 pounds,” he told CNN, “and when I went to get in my car the morning of the debate, I split the seat of my pants all the way open. So the red sweater is Plan B and I’m glad it worked out.”

The attention has been overwhelming. Mr. Bone has been flooded with interview requests. He received hundreds of Facebook friend requests, and his Twitter following mushroomed (he is @kenbone18; the others are fakes).

In his everyday life, Mr. Bone regularly works 12-hour shifts sitting in the control room of a coal-fired power plant. He said that while energy from coal is “near and dear to our hearts,” that he and his co-workers “recognize the need to be environmentally responsible.”

With his question he had been hoping to “spark a debate about subsidies for environmental controls for older coal–fired power plants.”

Check out some of the funnier tweets and memes below.

The #1 Halloween costume this year is obviously Ken Bone #debate pic.twitter.com/EBdVQQize9

— Michelle Markowitz (@michmarkowitz) October 10, 2016

Bring it on home, Ken Bone!

— Nathaniel Friedman (@freedarko) October 10, 2016

U.S. history books, 2150: “And in that moment, the republic was saved by a man named Ken Bone.”

— Emma Roller (@emmaroller) October 10, 2016

WRITE-IN CANDIDATE & AMERICAN HERO KEN BONE #BONEZONE #DEBATE pic.twitter.com/5f2ImqzADi

— Grace Parra (@GraceParra360) October 10, 2016

woke up still feeling STRONG about my man Ken Bone #BoneZone #BonelyTheLonely #mondaymotivation

— Grace Parra (@GraceParra360) October 10, 2016

@GraceParra360
One of the best Porn Names I’ve ever heard. & he’s got the stache too!!!!!

— Richard Scrotumtree (@RScrotumtree) October 10, 2016

Pussy grabs: 0
Pussy bows: 1
Ken Bone Puns: 14,342,234,238#debate

— Grace Parra (@GraceParra360) October 10, 2016

there’s vomit on his sweater already
mom’s spaghetti
he’s nervous, but on the surface he looks calm and ready… pic.twitter.com/bkRHorygn6

— an actual ghost tbh (@thecultureofme) October 10, 2016