Depending on how you count, there are between 18 and 20 announced candidates for the Republican Presidential Nomination. In early August, Fox News will host the first debate among them and Fox has announced they'll limit the proceedings to the top ten candidates (according to polling) as of a certain date before that event. If two or more people are tied for tenth place, all of them will be included so there could be more than ten on the stage. This article discusses why so many who haven't a chance are running.
So here's what I'm thinking: Tenth place is going to be someone who's polling at 2% or 3%. They're saying Donald Trump, who's currently at 2.2% might get in. What if Stephen Colbert announced his candidacy again?
His new TV show doesn't start until September. CBS will be promoting it all through July and August. He'll be running around making speeches anyway.
Last election, he dropped out of the race before the numbers solidified a lot but there were polls that showed him getting more than 3% in some states. I don't think it's impossible that there are enough Republicans disgusted with their choices that might want to cast a protest vote — or just keep Trump off that stage — and Colbert could get enough support to be included. He could even run on this promise: "Like most of those seeking this nomination, I promise to drop out of the race once I get as much attention and personal promotion as I can get."
Imagine the night of the first debate. They'll probably all arrive together in one tiny clown car. Wouldn't you enjoy seeing Colbert get out of it along with Bush, Walker, Rubio, Ben Carson and the rest? He could even sit on Chris Christie's lap if he could find it. Just think of the embarrassment for Carly Fiorina, Lindsay Graham, Bobby Jindal and a few others when Stephen Colbert gets to be in the debate and they don't. Trump's reaction alone would be priceless.
Don't you want to see that? I sure do.