

Meet Republican politician Sue Lowden, a wealthy casino owner. According to recent opinion polls, she's likely to be the next US Senator from the state of Nevada, thanks to a double-digit lead over the Democratic incumbent Harry Reid. At least, she was the main contender for Reid's seat – until she started propounding her chicken-based healthcare plan.

On Monday Lowden appeared on a local TV programme, where she was asked about a mildly eccentric suggestion she had made that patients should haggle and barter with their doctors to save money on their medical bills. As you can see from the video clip above, she replied:

"You know, before we all started having health care, in the olden days, our grandparents, they would bring a chicken to the doctor. They would say I'll paint your house.... In the old days that's what people would do to get health care with their doctors. Doctors are very sympathetic people. I'm not backing down from that system."

Washington Monthly blogger Steve Benen was one of many who responded to Lowden's plan with an open mouth. "This is one of the dumbest things I've ever heard from a candidate for statewide office," wrote Benen. "If there wasn't a video, I might not even believe it." Harry Reid's campaign was more blunt, sending out a statement headlined: "Has Sue Lowden lost her mind?"



The Democratic party was also quick to respond, reports the Las Vegas Review-Journal:

Phoebe Sweet, communications director for the Nevada State Democratic Party, and a few of her barnyard friends who shall remain nameless stopped by Lowden's campaign headquarters. "I tried to trade this goat for some health care, and my doctor looked at me like I'm crazy," Sweet told a receptionist as she carried the 25-pound goat into the headquarters with a local TV crew tracking her. "So I was just curious if you had any information on her barter plan." "No, thank you," the unidentified receptionist said politely.

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has put together a handy website, complete with list of ailments (rickets, scurvy, swamp fever) and possible bargaining chips (including "best ranch hand") with which to barter for healthcare. "Do you need medical care? Write a letter to Sue Lowden with your ailment and what you're willing to trade, and we'll make sure she gets it. It's just like the good old days!" is the gloating copy.

Over on Twitter a "LowdenCare" meme has sprung up. "Under #LowdenCare do we pay urgent care facilities in McNuggets?," wondered one tweet. "Crap. My doctor's a vegan," tweeted Duncan Black, the blogger Atrios.

Even the normally cerebral Economist bloggers joined in with some hilarious – well, hilarious if you are a reader of the Economist – jokes about chicken-based collateralised debt obligations:

For example, payment in kind would eliminate many of the risky innovations that led to the financial crisis. It would be virtually impossible to structure a chicken-based CDO; sure, you could find buyers for the breast tranche easily enough, but who would take all those necks and feet? Leverage rules become much less necessary when you can only hedge with items that actually exist; it's hard to imagine the notional value of chicken-based hedges greatly exceeding the number of actual chickens on the planet. And all this could be accomplished without any new taxes.

It'll be interesting to see what happens to Lowden. She is currently the most likely candidate to win the Republican primary on 8 June, according to recent polls. But of course, one should never count one's chickens till they are hatched.

The real shame is that Lowden isn't running for office in Kentucky.