In your honest opinion, which presidential campaigns were actually just jokes?

[Jacobtm]

I mean ala Stephen Colbert, literally just running for President for the laughs.

Actually, Colbert really had a point to make. I guess Cain is a more pure example of a joke campaign.

[ModerateCoward]

Cain & Colbert, others are just stupid.

[Zioneer]

Mainly Cain (who used a Pokemon quote in his concession speech, for goodness sake), and Colbert (duh), but I think Gingrich was a joke up until he became the "not-Romney" candidate. Once Santorum became the new not-Romney, he's slid into being a joke again.

But I think the biggest joke of all was Thaddeus McCotter. I have no idea why he ran, and I have no idea why he thought he had a chance.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Colbert was intentionally a joke, and sometimes Cain seemed to be one too.

[Zarn]

Obama's campaign in 2008 was a joke... didn't hurt him.

[oakvale]

Obama's campaign in 2008 was a joke... didn't hurt him.

...

What does this even mean?

[Emperor SJoyce]

If we take joke campaign to mean a campaign with no serious intentions of becoming President, then Cain, Colbert, Bachmann, Pawlenty (if they had really wanted to win, they would have stayed in past/till Iowa), and Gingrich (joke when he is not the not-Romney). Perry tried to run a serious campaign, but failed, and Paul/Johnson are really treating this as a speaking tour for their ideas.

[You kip if you want to...]

Herman, Newt, Rick.

All ran because they literally had nothing else to do this year. Newt and Rick, completely bewildering themselves at how fast the ABMs were dropping and were evidently shocked when it was their time to surge.

[So the Heroes Fall]

Obama's campaign in 2008 was a joke... didn't hurt him.

The most effective fundraiser of modern campaigns who was the first candidate in history who was able to deny public funding was a joke?

[You kip if you want to...]

Obama's campaign in 2008 was a joke... didn't hurt him.

The most effective fundraiser of modern campaigns who was the first candidate in history who was able to deny public funding was a joke?

Don't feed the troll.

[IDS Speaker Ben Kenobi]

Mitt Romney. Is there anyone here who thought he had a chance against Obama?

[Likely Voter]

I think that Pawlenty, Romney and Perry were the only ones truly running to be President. The rest were running to make a point or to raise their profile/make $.

[For Oklahoma]

Cain & Colbert, others are just stupid.

[Cobbler]

I think that Pawlenty, Romney and Perry were the only ones truly running to be President. The rest were running to make a point or to raise their profile/make $.

I think that Johnson was trying to be President before Ron Paul got in, but it was always a long shot campaign. I would say Huntsman was serious, but he was probably running for 2016.

I'd say the ones that weren't serious were Santorum, Cain, and Newt. (Paul can be included I guess, since he's not running for President really either.)

[Governor Scott]

Cain.  I'm still undecided over whether his campaign was legitimate or not.  I wouldn't be surprised if the real reason why he dropped out is because he thought he might actually win.

[RogueBeaver]

Herman, Newt, Rick.

All ran because they literally had nothing else to do this year. Newt and Rick, completely bewildering themselves at how fast the ABMs were dropping and were evidently shocked when it was their time to surge.

[mondale84]

Romney's.

Especially after he loses to Obama and later says that he knew he didn't stand a chance and was doing it just to be a good Republican (just like his 1994 race against Kennedy).

[Frodo]

Stephen Colbert and Hermain Cain were the only contenders who didn't (IMHO) take their own campaigns seriously.

[Svensson]

Cain and Colbert. Bonus option: McCotter.

[America First]

Cain and Colbert. Bonus option: McCotter.

I think McCotter actually thought he had a chance.  A bit delusional maybe, but his campaign wasn't a complete joke as was Cain's.  I don't think Colbert is even a member of the GOP so I can't even consider his a campaign.  It was just part of his show.

It would look like Rombot 3000's campaign was a joke with some of the dumb things he's said, but I think that's just faulty programming.  Rombot 3001 will hope to fix that.

[LINCOLN REPUBLICAN]

Herman You Want A Job Don't You? Cain,

obviously the biggest joke.

[Nichlemn]

I don't think anyone has ever run a joke campaign that wasn't explicitly identifiable as such (like Colbert's). Some may not have run with the intention of winning, but I don't think the McCotters of the word think "Right, I'm going to run for POTUS just for laughs".

[Chris B]

Cain and probably Gingrich before his December surge.