Why do people run for President who have no chance of winning?

[doom1701]

Aindik mentioned in the Frist thread (I think) that it's probably becoming increasingly harder to find VP candidates; I think it might be because of VP's lackluster results from trying to rise to the level of President.

But that got me thinking about Al Sharpton. Yeah, funny way my mind works. Anyway, he seems to run every election. He doesn't have a snowball's chance in hell of winning, yet he runs. It's not like he is running third party, trying to make a 'statement'--he runs Democrat every time.

I guess he's probably trying to make a statement, just like most third party candidates...but why does he do it? It seems like the party has a chance of losing voters, possibly to third parties--they feel their candidate gets the shaft, and decide not to vote the party line.

[JP]

My guess is that people like Sharpton are trying to parley their unsuccessful runs into influence with the party's ticket. The more of a following they have, the more they can ask for in the party platform for them to commit their "troops".

[aindik]

I'm too young to know the answer to this, but did anyone know who Jesse Jackson was before he ran for President in 1984?

Perhaps people run to make names for themselves, which they parlay into whatever is important to them, i.e. influence, power, money.

[JP]

I'm too young to know the answer to this, but did anyone know who Jesse Jackson was before he ran for President in 1984?Yes, he was a moderately well-known civil rights leader.

Perhaps people run to make names for themselves, which they parlay into whatever is important to them, i.e. influence, power, money.I don't have anything to contribute to that, I just had to break up your post into multiple bits so no one starts thinking this isn't me. :)

[Makita]

Well, because they CAN for starters.
They may not win and may not have any PLANS of winning, however, it does shake the tree a bit when the occasional odd-ball gets enough attention to give those in power a little kick in the pants (at least temporarily).
Thinking Perot here, mainly.

[Mikkel_Knight]

My guess is that people like Sharpton are trying to parley their unsuccessful runs into influence with the party's ticket. The more of a following they have, the more they can ask for in the party platform for them to commit their "troops".
proving clearly to someone looking on the outside that there was absolutely no real honor behind running, but that it was all simply a power-play type maneuver.

Which is really really sad, but has become typical in the democratic party. At least the republicans (usually) always fall into line behind each other instead of having the various branches and sects fighting each other for control and power.

Now, with them (the republicans) losing the "power" they have enjoyed for the better part of a decade and the democrats staged for a takeover, it'll be interesting to watch the same thing that has made the democratic party inept and incompetent happen to the republicans (as I'm sure it will considering the party has been "taken over" by the religious nutjobs).

To everything - turn, turn, turn
There is a season - turn, turn, turn