[View the story "Ex-astronaut seeks Liberal leadership, Twitter puns ready for lift off" on Storify]

Ex-astronaut seeks Liberal leadership, Twitter puns ready for lift off

Storified by Maclean's Magazine · Thu, Nov 29 2012 05:36:52

Marc Garneau, the first Canadian in space / Marc Garneau, le premier Canadien dans l'espaceMarcGarneauMP

Canada has a new social media darling. Marc Garneau, the first Canadian in space, announced Wednesday that he is running to become the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada. While he has slightly more than 8,500 Twitter followers (significanlty fewer than Liberal rival Justin Trudeau with almost 170,000), Garneau's leadership bid resulted in a plethora of puns and space jokes in the Twitterverse.

Marc Garneau announces he will run for the leadership of the federal Liberal Party of Canada / Marc Garneau annonce qu’il sera candidat à la direction du Parti libéral du CanadaMarcGarneauMP

Warning: there were plenty of puns, some courtesy the man of the hour:

Je décole - Blast off #Cndpoli #LPCLdrMarc Garneau

Marc Garneau should follow Neil Armstrong's lead and tell unfunny jokes about space. Then end by saying "Ahh, I guess you had to be there".Andrew Potter

Imagine the Conservative attacks on Marc Garneau: " ...He didn't come back to Earth for you" #cdnpoli #lpcScott Brison

How about a deal: WE won't write headlines like "failure to launch" if YOU won't say "let's take Canada to new heights" http://www.ipolitics.ca/2012/11/28/ex-astronaut-marc-garneau-launches-federal-liberal-leadership-bid/Andrew Coyne

Marc Garneau http://fr-ca.actualites.yahoo.com/photos/les-caricatures-slideshow/ http://pic.twitter.com/HapPiDLDfleg

Astronaut Marc Garneau is running for the leadership of the Liberal party. Finally, someone who will know his way around Newt's moon colony.Bruce Arthur

Hey, Mark Garneau, are you an astronaut? 'Cause your Liberal leadership bid is outta this world!Sheena Goodyear

Marc Garneau dévoile une partie de sa stratégie dans ceci! Tsé un gars à mode?! http://pic.twitter.com/R4vh3fn9Ben

Desperately trying to avoid a Garneau space joke in my headline because they've all been taken. #journalismDale Smith-Journo

The puns became so prevalent that the hashtag #garneauslogans offered even more potential catchphrases for the man who wants to become Prime Minister.

To majority ... and beyond! #GarneauSlogansWilfrid Laurier

I can see Russia from my spaceship #GarneauSlogansAdam Quirk

you want someone with a global vision? elect a person who's been to space. #garneauslogansnoah saber freedman

I'll give Stephen Harper a one-way ticket to the moon #garneauslogansNickie

In space, no one can hear you yell "CARBON TAX." #GarneauSlogansJustin Ling

If you thought @JustinTrudeau had star power, you ain't seen nothing yet. @MarcGarneau #garneauslogansBrodie Thomas

Space, The Final Frontier. Well, also Alberta. #GarneauSlogansAndrew Coyne

It's the Astronomy, Stupid. #GarneauSlogansEmmett Macfarlane

I will replace the F-35 with the Millenium Falcon. #garneauslogansSteve V

The next Liberal that opens his yap about Alberta gets airlocked. #GarneauSlogansJohn Groves

Yes, we Canadarm! #GarneauSlogansKevin Cormier

Think galactically, act locally #GarneauSlogansMellina Huitema

Garneau chimed in as well with a potential winner.

#garneauslogans it's'not rocket science. Believe me, I know a thing or two about rocket scienceMarc Garneau

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