Who is Kevin-Kyle Kaczynski Von Oswald XVII? Persona mocks Manatee County politicians
A blue furry plush puppet roleplaying as a candidate for Manatee County Commission has irked local officials and candidates, who are denouncing satirical videos and content posted by an online account named "Kevin-Kyle Kaczynski Von Oswald XVII" in advance of a heated 2024 election.
Since the online persona was created in April, Von Oswald has been ruffling the feathers of top political officials and candidates, with the attacks circulating social media.
Nobody seems to know who is behind the account.
In an email to the Herald-Tribune, Kevin-Kyle Kaczynski Von Oswald XVII said he is merely "a puppet." He declined to give his actual identity.
"Who is Kevin-Kyle? That’s a very philosophical question," Von Oswald said in an email. "I am a puppet just like all of my competitors. I have a bunch of hands up my (explicative) similar to my competitors. The only difference is the interests of the hands up mine are of the community."
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Self-identifying by the moniker "The Real KVO" as a jab at Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge, the puppet character pokes fun at the local political establishment in videos and memes on YouTube, his website, and social media accounts. He even operates a merch store.
Some who are portrayed in his videos and memes say the account is crossing the line.
Keith Green, who is running for the at-large seat currently held by Commissioner George Kruse, took issue with an illustration that superimposed his face into the body of a comedic actor next to an image of Von Oswald challenging him to a rap battle on a Mortal Combat video game stage.
"It just took a very racist turn," he said. "That to me is a hidden, racist, dog whistle in our community... There is no place for this in our political arena. I didn't run for office because I wanted to get attention, I decided to run because I want to serve my community, and I'm taking shots every day for it. If I were to win this election, I'd be the first African American in Manatee County history to sit in that at-large seat. This is major. This is game-changing in so many ways."
Beef over Holmes Beach parking garage
Von Oswald predominantly opposes an effort by Manatee County to build a parking garage in Holmes Beach despite resistance from local government officials and many island residents.
Van Ostenbridge and local state legislators have been driving forces behind the effort, navigating a measure to the state legislative session last year to circumvent roadblocks by city officials. The effort has also spawned a separate discussion about the benefits of consolidating the three island cities.
More: Manatee County legislators consider consolidating 3 Anna Maria Island cities and Bradenton
Von Oswald's website indicates he also supports community efforts to prevent the widening of 59th Street, opposes changes at New College of Florida, opposes efforts to ban library books and censor content, stating "just because our politicians can't read doesn't mean our children shouldn't."
"The causes that I am most concerned with are the elimination of home rule, the destruction of our wildlife, and the weaponization of our governments," Von Oswald said.
Green said Von Oswald posted the meme with his depiction on Facebook after publicly supporting the construction of the controversial parking garage. He feels targeted because he is an African American man running for office as a far-right-leaning Republican.
"I had never said that I was against this garage," Green said. "So when I finally took my position publicly, people totally lost their minds."
"To me, I feel that racism is one of this nation's original sins," he said. "It's something that isn't going to change in my lifetime. There are some difficulties being an African American Republican."
Shades of gray
Several other candidates and officials portrayed in the videos declined to comment when asked about Van Oswald.
Van Ostenbridge is the central figure of the animated video series, which is titled The Real KVO, but he said he takes particular issue with Green's portrayal and that of female commissioners.
Videos on the YouTube channel have included content like an image of former Commissioner Vanessa Baugh's face superimposed into a KKK outfit. Another skit portrayed Commissioner Amanda Ballard as a stripper dancing on a pole. Content related to her often references her genitalia.
"We are a fun bunch, aren't we?" Van Ostenbridge said.
"Most people have respectful political discussions online, but there are always bad apples in every barrel," he said. "There have been some things that were distasteful, some things that were appalling, some of it is quite crude, and unfortunately, some things that appear to be racist."
Ballard said she would prefer to ignore Von Oswald's content, but she cannot turn a blind eye when it flows across her social media feed.
"It's completely irrelevant, and a distraction to the important work of representing my district," Ballard said. "The content borders on slanderous. Because I'm a conservative, I'm expected to sit back without a word and take blatant misogyny from the inclusivity and intersectionality crowd who would celebrate me as a trailblazing ... if I were a Democrat."
Yet Von Oswald's content continues to resonate with many, including more than 1,500 friends on Facebook. He said his content gives a voice to members of the community who feel ignored by local officials over some of the country's most controversial issues. He denied that the posts were racist or discriminatory.
"The truest measure of freedom within a society is the ability for its citizens to criticize those in power," Von Oswald said. "When you restrict the freedom of speech through cancel culture, you ignore the words of the disenfranchised."
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Puppet ruffles feathers of Manatee County's political elite
