The Run of an Also Ran

With Iowa just three weeks away, the end of indignities is near for third-tier candidates. And not a moment too soon

Jim Cole / AP

The race is heading up, but voters are still cool to candidates like Representative Tancredo, speaking here in Colebrook, New Hampshire.

There is something noble about this. Driving hundreds of miles across Iowa, fueled by fast food and a few hours of sleep, Willie Lomaning to groups of 20, selling them on how to make our country better. You have to be real close, however, to see this nobility. Because from a distance, running for President as a second- or third-tier candidate looks like self-delusional narcissism.

There are 17 people left running for President from the two major parties, most of them powerful, important Senators and Representatives who, when they decided to run, seemed as viable as a black first-term Senator, a...

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