In a new op-ed, former independent and Green Party presidential candidate Ralph Nader weighed in on why candidates who almost certainly will never be president still throw their hat in the ring:
You can fatten your mailing list and your Rolodex for future opportunities. These can include lucrative jobs, retainers, paid speeches or book advances. After 2008, former Gov. Mike Huckabee made it to Fox News and, by staying in the limelight, set himself up for a second run.Of course, these candidates will claim, some truthfully, that what they really want is for daily audiences to absorb their strongly held convictions and policy ideas. What better way to make yourself heard than a presidential candidacy? All you have to do is show up and talk every day. The media will listen — at least if you have the money and belong to one of the major parties. [Los Angeles Times]
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