US Presidential Contenders

[Buster's Uncle]

Not so sure that he would run.  [Sleezebag]'s ground teams are virtually non-existent.  He would have to have party support to mount any kind of an effective run.  Even Perot had a fairly well organized ground team.

I guess it depends on why he's running, doesn't it?

[PLATO]

 

Good Point!

[Rusty Edge]

http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/04/politics/fox-debate-cleveland-announcement/index.html

"Washington (CNN)—The wait is over.

Fox News said Tuesday that Republican presidential candidates Donald [Sleezebag], Jeb Bush, Scott Walker, Mike Huckabee, Ben Carson, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Rand Paul, Chris Christie and John Kasich will all appear on the dais Thursday for the first prime-time debate of the primary season.

The seven other major declared candidates -- Rick Perry, Rick Santorum, Bobby Jindal, Carly Fiorina, Lindsey Graham, George Pataki, and Jim Gilmore -- will appear at a debate earlier Thursday evening.
"

[Geo]

Are those seventeen all Republican candidates? Wow, almost like in European politics.

[Rusty Edge]

Yes. All Republicans, and there are a few more that not many people have heard of, or at least know that they are running.

[Geo]

Just found a list of 2016 presidential candidates. I didn't realize there were also quite a number of Democratic opponents. And then all those others and independents. Has one of those two latter groups even ever achieved a seat or position or something on the federal level?

[Rusty Edge]

Just found a list of 2016 presidential candidates. I didn't realize there were also quite a number of Democratic opponents. And then all those others and independents. Has one of those two latter groups even ever achieved a seat or position or something on the federal level?

If I understand you correctly, no.

Bernie Sanders, running as a Democrat, is a sitting a Senator and also the longest serving independent in the House of Representatives. 

Rand Paul is running as a Republican, and is a sitting Senator. He has good Libertarian credentials.

The Libertarians are probably the strongest third party, and have elected federal legislators, but I don't think any of these have run for president or federal office before.

The Constitutionalists  are a religious party. Mostly for private schools, and against abortion and gay marriage. Same with many of the independent candidates.  They might be a force if they could organize into a united party, but they can't organize into one protestant church, so I doubt they can pull anything off. All that the Christian faction has succeeded in doing recently is lose federal  elections for the Republicans.

The others want a soap box.

[Geo]

I meant on the Senate or Congress level, so Sanders seem to fit my question.
How are things on the state level? Are their State governments who don't solely consist of Democrats or Republicans?

[Rusty Edge]

I meant on the Senate or Congress level, so Sanders seem to fit my question.
How are things on the state level? Are their State governments who don't solely consist of Democrats or Republicans?

New Hampshire, for certain. Alaska has a few. On the other end, California with 180 seats in the combined state houses, has no independents or minor party representatives.

But mostly Americans believe in a two party system as if it were enshrined in The Constitution. Not only that, they seem to think that they are throwing away their votes if they don't vote for a Republican or Democrat, as if those particular parties were enshrined in the Constitution, too.

Don't get me wrong, sitting members of Congress do everything in their power to keep it that way, but it's a matter of practice and legalized favoritism, it doesn't stem from the Constitution.


So, to summarize, there a very few people outside of the Democrats and Republicans, in the  federal or state government. So very few are qualified to become president.

[Dio]

http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/04/politics/fox-debate-cleveland-announcement/index.html

"Washington (CNN)—The wait is over.

Fox News said Tuesday that Republican presidential candidates Donald [Sleezebag], Jeb Bush, Scott Walker, Mike Huckabee, Ben Carson, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Rand Paul, Chris Christie and John Kasich will all appear on the dais Thursday for the first prime-time debate of the primary season.

The seven other major declared candidates -- Rick Perry, Rick Santorum, Bobby Jindal, Carly Fiorina, Lindsey Graham, George Pataki, and Jim Gilmore -- will appear at a debate earlier Thursday evening.
"

*shudder* Carly Fiorina is back on the political scene after her failed attempt at winning a U.S. Senate seat of California in 2010.

[Unorthodox]

Alright BU, today's the big day! 

Our little bet might even be enough to make me pay attention... 

[Buster's Uncle]

...Now I have to review the terms we agreed on...

[Yitzi]

http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/04/politics/fox-debate-cleveland-announcement/index.html

"Washington (CNN)—The wait is over.

Fox News said Tuesday that Republican presidential candidates Donald [Sleezebag], Jeb Bush, Scott Walker, Mike Huckabee, Ben Carson, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Rand Paul, Chris Christie and John Kasich will all appear on the dais Thursday for the first prime-time debate of the primary season.

The seven other major declared candidates -- Rick Perry, Rick Santorum, Bobby Jindal, Carly Fiorina, Lindsey Graham, George Pataki, and Jim Gilmore -- will appear at a debate earlier Thursday evening.
"

*shudder* Carly Fiorina is back on the political scene after her failed attempt at winning a U.S. Senate seat of California in 2010.

Now there's someone with a proven track record as an executive.

(A proven track record of failure, that is.)

[Unorthodox]

Well, I was so fascinated with the debate I went and bought a skirt....

How was it? 

[Buster's Uncle]

I cared so much that I spent the time hunched forward squinting while I edited 8pt. .css code.  Rusty will tell us.