Maybe this will seem like a n00b question, but is this shaping up to be one of the biggest fields ever?
GOP:
2012: 10 candidates (including Roemer and G. Johnson) + 2 early withdrawals (T-Paw, McCotter)
2008: 8 candidates (including Keyes and D. Hunter) + 4 early withdrawals
2000: 6 candidates + 6 early withdrawals
1996: 8 candidates + 2 early withdrawals
Dem:
2008: 8 candidates
2004: 8 candidates + 2 early withdrawals
I'll take those first 3 as recent GOP history. If the trend continues, we should be expecting 12 candidates and 0 early withdrawals - wouldn't shock me with how selfish the party's becoming lol. T-Paw was the last graceful loser ever.
In reality, it'll probably be 14-16 running though considering people like Fiorina and mid to no name Congressmen who want to throw their names in a la McCotter/Tancredo/D.Hunter. Bachmann wants to run and never gets talked up on here. If people like her seriously try, it could be 18. So yes, this could be huge, but we've had big ones in the past. It's just those people realize before Iowa that they don't have a chance, and now, they seem to dream on a little too long. Jindal should be the barometer in that regard if he never catches on. That'll tell us how long the ballot list will actually be.
