Candidate Trump... and What it Means

Everyone is making a big to do about Trump running for president. Lots of speculation. Lots of assumptions. Lots of guesses.

Also, a lot of posturing.

However this isn't the first time we have seen an otherwise non-politician entering a race.
- 1992 We had Ross Perot, a Texas Billionaire, took a sizable amount of the vote
- 1996 Perot came back, to less effect
- 2000 Ralph Nader came in to the race and pulled a lot of Democratic support from Gore
- 2004 Rev. Al Sharpton was the second to last candidate to withdraw in a field of 10
- 2008 saw Alan Keyes return, but there were primarily elected officials on the ballot
- 2012 we had Herman Cain, a businessman who's plans shaped how candidates presented theirs

So the question isn't can they run, how far they can run, or can they get the nomination.
The question is what will the discussion be centered around, and will they make an impact?

Looking at the elections of the last 25 years - Perot and Nader made an impact in the discussions and outcome. Sharpton was able to define an opposition to war, and Keyes and Cain were able to present a series of plans that shaped discussions and presentation styles.

However in order to actually become the nominee, you have to have support across a large swath of the party. Only time will tell if Trump is able to build that support.