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You are here: Home / 2016 Campaign / Flirting with a Presidential Campaign

Flirting with a Presidential Campaign

May 1, 2015 at 10:42 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 14 Comments

Washington Post:”This is the flirting season in American politics: Right now, more than 20 politicians are officially ‘considering’ or ‘exploring’ a run for president. The key to understanding this strange every-four-years ritual is to understand that there are actually two kinds of flirting.”

“For the big-name candidates, the presidential flirt is a useful, temporary, legal dodge. They will run. They are basically running already. But they don’t want to admit it yet, because that would bring on tighter fundraising rules.”

“For the others — particularly the eight or so who had fallen out of the political spotlight — the flirt can be an end in itself. It allows them to experience some of the most pleasant parts of a campaign: audiences, media attention, a chance to raise money. And then it lets them escape before they have to face the less-pleasant parts. Like getting crushed.”

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Taegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political web sites. He also runs Political Job Hunt, Electoral Vote Map and the Political Dictionary.

Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.

Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country.

Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.

Goddard is the owner of Goddard Media LLC.

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