Think there are too many GOP candidates? Meet the 1,200 other people running for president


The Republican primary field is gradually winnowing down from a confusing high of 17 candidates — a total that has left many voters (and probably many candidates, too) understandably overwhelmed.
But fear not: Even as GOP contenders drop out and the Democratic contest stays small, there are still some 1,200 other people running for president in America. They're fringe candidates with a wide array of agendas for America, and you probably can't vote for most of them, as they generally are registered in just one state (if they're on a ballot at all).
So here's a taste of the options you're likely missing: Missouri's Dale Hoinoski wants to run our cars on marijuana oil. Doris Walker of Illinois prioritizes swimming pool access. And Caesar Saint Augustine de Buonaparte Emperor of the United States of Turtle Island in North Carolina—well, he's named Caesar Saint Augustine de Buonaparte Emperor of the United States of Turtle Island.
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Bonnie Kristian was a deputy editor and acting editor-in-chief of TheWeek.com. She is a columnist at Christianity Today and author of Untrustworthy: The Knowledge Crisis Breaking Our Brains, Polluting Our Politics, and Corrupting Christian Community (forthcoming 2022) and A Flexible Faith: Rethinking What It Means to Follow Jesus Today (2018). Her writing has also appeared at Time Magazine, CNN, USA Today, Newsweek, the Los Angeles Times, and The American Conservative, among other outlets.
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