Do we ever wonder what happens to the presidential candidates who unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your political stance) do not win the presidential election? Do they go back to living the lives they did before, or do they become altered in an irreparable way, because it is the magnitude of being a presidential candidate that does the altering?
Well, let’s take a look and see what past failed presidential candidates have been up to:
- Al Gore became an environmentalist. Totally legit alternative to being a politician. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, please, open a new tab and search for The Inconvenient Truth, and open another search for “keeping up with current events”.
- John Kerry hasn’t really done much, but he is the successor (if you want to call it that) to Joe Biden’s seat as chairman of the Senate Committee of Foreign Relations. A glamorous alternative to not winning the presidential election in 2004. He also spends his time making deliciously sardonic statements about the Republicans and their policies that he is later forced to apologize for. Don’t worry, John Kerry, we all know that you can’t resist.
- Bob Dole gave up on his seat on the Hill after pathetically losing to Bill Clinton in the 1996 presidential election. I’m surprised he didn’t give up in his previous (failed) attempts for even the vice presidential ticket in 1980 and 1976. What’s he up to now? Writing jokes about himself and previously elected presidents and working at a law firm. Way to step it up, Bob Dole!
- Oh, and last, but not least, John McCain. He’s still a senator in Arizona. Did you all know that? No, no, don’t answer the question. Of course, recently Arizona is notorious for passing it’s law plaguing illegal immigrants. Which is odd, because for his presidential campaign Sen. McCain wasn’t largely opposed to passing ruthless legislation against our fellow immigrants from the south. What is sadder, is that after losing by a small margin to President Barack Obama, he had to turn to Tea Partyists (with whom he has next to nothing in common with) and his failed running mate Sarah Palin to back him in his race to keep his senate seat. And it was not an easy fight, my friends. He nearly lost his party nominee ticket to J.D. Hayworth, which would have been a tragedy for him. S’okay, John McCain. The people that probably still support you are the ones who haven’t realized how much you’ve changed for the worse since your tragic loss in the past presidential election.
Seems like most of these guys have really made something out of themselves since not winning. It kind of makes you want to ask them, “Was it worth it to have even blown off all those millions of dollars in campaign materials and appearances in the first place?” Maybe the losing mentality sticks long after the initial depression state and they can’t fix it. Maybe they feel like the only way to become accomplished is to lower their standards. And lower they did, didn’t they, Bob Dole? Well, I think they all deserve a pat on the back for even trying. Someday your political party will stop resenting you for making them throw away all of their money on your campaign. Someday.
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Speaking to 400 professionals of all stripes in California the other day, I asked who would be seriously interested in a third major political party. Fiscally conservative, socially liberal. Nearly every hand shot up.
