I think these stories of pirate parties, or communists, or greens, running and being elected to various governmental office are so titillating to Americans because we find it hard to imagine the vast tolerance of divergent opinions in non-american politics. In the USA we have two center right parties with almost no divergence over core political issues who fight to endlessly promote minor political issues or social wedge issues so as to disguise their complete lock on political power.
In the US you could no more elect a pirate, a communist, or an atheist, than you could elect bear. So in the end for us these stories are dancing bear type stories. No one asks if a dancing bear dances well. We aren't interested all that much in the policies or the questions themselves; we're just kind of amazed that you guys would conceive of electing someone whose opinion diverges so far from your rulers.