Do you remember the hamster races? He also did the news and was the DC Bozo the clown.
Og help us, we have Mr. Whitekeys.
In Ann Arbor, MI, it would be Shakey Jake, although he passed away in the past year.
Fred Tuttle has also shuffled off this mortal coil, but was famous for running against a flatlander and beating him in the VT senatorial primary. At one point he stumped Jack McMullen by asking how many teats on a cow.
"Tuttle was described by Senator Leahy as ‘the distilled essence of Vermonthood’. He was considered by many to be an example of both the ‘everyman’ and of the unique individualist. He was seen as a warm and friendly man who even into his eighties would charm the people that he met at the fairs and farming conventions he attended.
Tuttle died of a heart attack after a day spent digging potatoes, at his home in Tunbridge, Vermont. He was buried in his overalls, with a pen in his pocket for autograph signing and a can of Moxie by his side."
I’ve seen Tom Park in lots of places. Before that, I’d always assumed that he was local. He has his own website. http://www.tomparkproductions.com/ (Warning: video on mainpage)
Considering I am the only practicing lawyer in a 50 mile radius, I’d say me. 
In Columbus Ohio there would be Fred Ricart (car dealer) and The “help is on the way” guy (campus area homeless guy).
In Boston there’s the “Jesus Guy” who wears a big anti-abortion sandwich board and hands out Chick tracts at any event where more than seven people are gathered. Not only do most locals know of him, but I think most locals have seen him.
Boston has more than a few of them. The WBCN Toucher and Rich show is becoming extremely successful because they tap heavily into the local “talent”. The first big hit was the Chili Guy who is now a highly sought after homeless person with giant events in his name and honor (which he never goes to).
They are running a contest now to figure out the most interesting person in Boston which means the most fascinating freaks. There are 16 of them nominated and they are going through a 16 person tournament based on whatever content people can present. The Chili Guy is specifically not allowed to play in these things anymore because he would always win.
They presented a contestant this week that I had never heard of but he performs in Harvard Square. I thought I have seen everything but this guy took my breath away in a new way. His simple puppet show is beyond bizarre in ways that you can see.
The video clip below requires quicktime compatible software so it may not work for everyone. It works fine in Firefox for me:
Here are some pics for everyone but you need the clip to really understand:
http://www.unclescam.org/pup123.html
http://www.unclescam.org/ascans/15pups.html
http://www.unclescam.org/ascans2/13pups.html
http://www.unclescam.org/ascans2/multipup.html
Let me know what you think is wrong with this guy. I have never seen anything like it.
Actually, the coolest thing about him is that before he beat the flat-lander in the republican primary (and then went on to tell everyone who voted for him to vote for Leahy,) is that he starred in an independent VT made film two years earlier about the exact same thing. He played himself running for congress (although in the film it’s the US Representative seat, not the senate) against a flat-lander who’s goal was to move to VT and “buy” the seat just to further his own political career.
I actually know people who thought it was the other way around, and “Man With a Plan” was made after his campaign.
I was just going to chime in with this guy!
In lieu, I’ll offer “Honest” Ed Mirvish. Whatta guy.
Carson-Tahoe area has Glenn Lucky. Shoulda been dead 20 years ago, but keeps on rollin’!
Why stop there? Even just considering politically-related candidates, we’ve also got: Mel “Nooooooooobody” Lastman (furniture store owner who was also mayor of North York, and then Toronto after the Metropolitan Toronto cities merged into one), and Al “Pal of Mine” Palladini (owned a car dealership and became famous for his commercials* before his career as a politician) and Ben Kerr (a street performer who sang wildly disjointed but very political songs and started running for mayor in 1985).
- Best commercial was his “mother’s” testimonial: “Pine Tree Lincoln-Mercury is the best Lincoln-Mercury dealership called Pine Tree owned by a son of mine.”
And long before Mattress Mac, there was Art Grindle. He was a car dealer who advertised heavily on Saturday afternoon baseball games - live. His schtick was to have his employees dress as clowns, and then during each commercial, they would drive a clunker up to him, screech to a stop, then roar off as he yelled and screamed about how wonderful the car was.
One day, I was watching and as the car screeched up, the front bumper fell off. Old Art just kicked it out of the way and announced an extra hundred bucks off the price. I fell off the couch laughing.