Here’s some good news for the Americans dreaming of being President.
It turns out the job requirements are surprisingly simple.
You just have to be a natural-born US citizen 35 years or older who’s lived in the US
for the past 14 years But, of course, there’s another factor here – money, honey!
So how much does it actually cost to run for President?
Registering as a Presidential candidate isn’t actually that expensive.
First, you need to fill out – surprise – a government form.
It’s called the Statement of Candidacy, or FEC Form 2, and you’re required to submit
this within 15 days of becoming a candidate.
So when does an average Jane or Joe become a candidate?
According to the Feds, you’re automatically a candidate once your team has either received
5,000 dollars in contributions, or racked up 5,000 in campaign expenses.
In June of 2016, the FEC listed 1772 candidates.
That’s right; you’re just 5,000 away from joining such influential Americans as Donald
Trump, Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Obi Wan Jedi Kenobi and Nicki Minaj.
But remember, there’s a big difference between running for President and actually winning.
To campaign successfully you’ll need much more than 5,000 bucks.
Your next step will be getting on state ballots.
Each state may have different rules outlining how you can do this.
Unless you’re already established in the public eye, you’ll need petitions.
For example, in 2012, Democratic candidates needed either 1% or 500 signatures from Democrats
in each of California’s districts.
There were over 50 districts!
This means you’ll need a volunteer campaign, along with advertising and, probably, a paid
staff.
While it’s possible to be a write-in candidate, it’s not probable that you’d be able to
garner any significant numbers that way.
Caucus states like Iowa just require enough people to show up and cast a ballot for you.
But there are hundreds of caucuses in Iowa alone.
You’ll need a strategy to reach these voters, which, again, means you’ll need a staff.
You’ll also need money for advertising, travel, and more.
The cost of pizza for volunteers alone could run into the tens of thousands of dollars
over time.
By this point, the campaign has already become massively expensive.
Luckily, you’ve got contributors.
Virtually no viable candidate is going to be self-funded.
Instead, the average would-be President receives contributions from individuals, parties, corporations,
political action committees and so on.
Uncle Sam has different limits on how much money these entities can contribute during
the primary and general elections.
While every campaign is different, there are some definite trends.
For instance, each recent campaign seems to be more expensive than the last.
According to the FEC, President Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign raised 683.5 million
dollars.
Contributions from the Democratic party and other outside groups raised the total to around
1.1 billion dollars.
When we combine all of the parties, the 2012 election was estimated to cost 2.6 billion
dollars.
Pundits, fundraisers and other policy wonks are predicting the 2016 campaign may top these
numbers, with the Clinton campaign alone rumored to possibly reach 1.5 to 2 billion dollars.
These numbers have led speculators like the Economist to predict that the 2016 election
may eventually ring in at an unprecedented 5 billion dollars.
Does this mean you have to be a multi-millionaire to become Commander-in-Chief?
No.
But it does mean you’ll need millions of someone’s dollars to ensure your voice is
heard amid the din of all the other candidates vying for the public’s attention.
In 2004 George W. Bush spent 367 million for reelection, while the John Kerry campaign
spent 328.
In 2008 election, the first Obama campaign spent 730 million, with the McCain side spending
333.
As we saw earlier, the 2012 Obama reelection pushed costs to 683 million, compared to Mitt
Romney's campaign’s 433 million.
Notice a pattern?
In recent elections it seems the folks who spent the most ended up in the White House.
If this trend continues, and you want to be president in 2016 or later, well… either
start saving or start writing to your supporters.
You’ll need all the help you can get.
Which reminds me.
Does anyone want to contribute to my campaign?
Because I'm actually running for Presidentress of YouTube.
And it just feels good to say it publicly.
I don't know if that job actually exists, but gosh darnit I'm running.
And while you're here, don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss a moment of BrainStuff.
And my failed election attempt.