Monday, May 4, 2015

Running for President in the Third Tier

Why do people like Ben Carson, Carly Fiorina, and Mike Huckabee run for President? Do they actually think they can win, or do they have some other purpose in mind? All are said to be smart people, so they must know the odds against them are huge. Is it the attention? For a certain sort of person, is it fun to be in the limelight and have reporters take what you say seriously and so on? Are they bored and looking for an exciting challenge?

I can actually see that it might be exciting, provided you could find some cranky billionaire to fund your whole campaign; it's the having to beg for money part that would make it miserable for me.

4 comments:

John said...

In the comments section at the Times, Brooklynite Stan Continople says:

So many candidates, so few billionaires; definitely a buyers market.

Thomas said...

There's definitely a lot of monetary and ego incentives. I also think, in the case of Fiorina and Carson, there is some establishment interest in there being a woman and a black man in the campaign.

leif said...

i believe it's simply more opportunities for them to spout the party line and get news coverage in so doing.

John said...

I wonder if Fiorina is angling for a vice-presidential slot.