Since today is a very slow news day and since former Gov. Tom Vilsack dropped out of the Democratic primary, I thought I would give some thoughts on the subject of second tier candidates.

Tom Vilsack actually helped this site out a bit because as I prepare the 2008 section I find myself wondering just how much time I should put into researching and writing about those candidates who don’t have a change in hell of winning the nomination. Somewhere along the line running for president became more about getting your name on television and selling books than it did about actually running for president. Still the fact that they run is of some historic significance so it does seem important to catalog.

We have a ton of people running right now, especially on the Democratic ticket. People who cannot raise the kind of money they need to compete, don’t have platforms that appeal to most voters and don’t have the charisma to move people into supporting them. Now there are and will continue to be countless articles, blogs, and television commentary sessions where people claim this is about the worst thing imaginable for democracy. “Only those people who can raise money can win, what about the next Lincoln who just doesn’t look good on television” they ask.

At the risk of sounding undemocratic, I am sorry, but being president is as much about leading men and women as it is signing bills and shaking hands. In my opinion if someone cannot move people enough to give them money or say their name when asked in a poll, chances are they aren’t going to vote for them. Last time I checked voting was a popularity contest. The candidate people like the most, for whatever reason, wins. So shouldn’t the entire process work the same way? Why would you nominate someone you know doesn’t have a chance?

Let’s face facts, Dennis Kucinich, Pat Buchanan, Ralph Nader, Al Sharpton and the rest who keep running don’t have a shot, it just won’t happen. It has, of course, become a business for them and a very profitable one at that. Now I know some people run because they truly believe in one or two issues and they want to advance them in a public forum. Fine, I respect it, but lets not pretend like they stand even with anyone.

I don’t honestly know what Dennis Kucinich believes in, same with Al Sharpton or Ralph Nader. (Pat Buchanan, well I know what he believes in and the majority of the people aren’t buying.) I have heard a large chunk of their rhetoric and frankly it stops turning into anything after awhile. The spotlight hits them, they say their prepared remarks, make their prepared jokes and the audience is left saying “there was someone other then ____ there?”

Anyway my point is this. Everyone who wants to can run for president, I am just not going to wax poetic about every campaign.