America has its eccentrics: Emperor Norton, Edgar Cayce, Sarah Winchester, Victoria Woodhull and lawn mower precision drill teamsto name a few. In 1988, David Weeks, a clinical psychologist at Royal Edinburgh Hospital in Scotland, who at the time was completing a study of America eccentrics, told Time magazine:

America needs idealism, vision and humor in the White House. A real eccentric would have all those qualities in abundance. We need another genuine oddball in the White House.

Well, Obama kinda qualifies as an eccentric, especially because he once marched with the World Famous Lawn Rangers Precision Lawn Mowing Team from Amazing Arcola, Illinois–known for their silly dances, decorated lawn mowers and twirling brooms and toilet plungers. Now the Lawn Rangers are marching in the Inaugural Parade, representing American eccentrics, or maybe it’s their philosophy that scored them a spot. Explaines founder Pat Monahan:

Here’s our secret. Find something you like to do, get real good at it, and success will follow.

Reports the Champaign-Urbana New-Gazette:

In all, 57 Lawn Rangers, including 48 marchers bearing mowers, two toilet plunger men and seven banner aides dressed like Abraham Lincoln, will march down Pennsylvania Avenue from the Capitol to the White House.

Some Lawn Rangers believe Obama’s earlier participation in their zany group–which will be commemorated by a mower in the parade adorned with a banner depicting the president-elect clutching a Lawn Ranger toilet plunger–tipped the scales in their favor and made them one of 60 groups in the Inaugural Parade.

Despite their goofiness, the Lawn Rangers take their parade participation seriously. Says Manuel Barrientos, who immigrated here from Mexico when he was 21 years old, and will decorate his lawn mower with the Mexican flag for the parade:

I’m excited about being in the parade; we’re making history, and I want to be part of history.