Why the sudden surge of "billionaires" wanting the White House?

[kentuck]

There was a time that they kept their politics behind the doors. They did not want to make waves. If they needed a favor or a tax-break, they simply would go to their favorite politician. But they operated in a more quiet, diplomatic way.

Not anymore. Now they are so confident that they want to be in charge of signing their own tax breaks.

It shows how far we have come on our way to being an oligarchy. We are there and the number of billionaires running for the job or interested in the job only proves the point.

[StandingInLeftField]

1. Because unlimited wealth no longer has the "kick"

Money was the gateway drug - power is the ultimate high.

[lapfog_1]

2. some of it is pure ego

"I've made all this money... therefore I'm unique and special"...

And some of it is simply removing the middle person... why depend on a politician to enact the laws you want (and paid for with contributions to people) when you can run and get elected yourself.

[Vinca]

3. Hey . . . rich people need hobbies.

You can only yacht and play polo so many times.

[monmouth4]

4. To protect their interests...n/t

[etherealtruth]

11. That is it , in a nutshell

[ronnie624]

19. They don't even need proxies anymore. n/t

[livetohike]

5. Boredom. They have everything else they want. n/t

[ProfessorGAC]

9. That And. . .

. . .accumulation of wealth becomes a contest to them. They've already won that game, so this is a new competition to test their own mettle.

[global1]

7. Cut Out The Middleman....nt

[Binkie The Clown]

20. +1000 ^^^ n/t

[SamKnause]

8. To protect their interests.

It is all out in the open.

Monopolies, price gouging, defective products, market manipulation, bailouts,

false advertisement, unregulated markets, unregulated interest rates, free trade, etc.

Who benefits from all these things ???

How many millionaires are enacting legislation on behalf of the billionaires ???

The 1% want total control !!!

They don't care how many people's lives are destroyed or how many die because of their greed.

I have little respect for people who hoard money when so many do without basic necessities or

the possibility to live in dignity.

[randr]

10. They saw the Koch's buy congress and are jealous

[oberliner]

12. They can afford to run

Much harder for non-billionaires to do so.

[HughBeaumont]

13. Collection.

Just another thing to add to their trophy cases.

Mitt tried unsuccessfully because he saw nothing wrong with demonizing the poor.

Eventually, that formula might just win people over if your electorate is dumb enough.

[ileus]

14. Just like the non-billionaires....they want the ultimate POWER.

[DetlefK]

15. It's a collector's item for the man who has everything.

[Baitball Blogger]

16. They are cutting out the middleman.

[bemildred]

17. Big egos? nt

[librechik]

18. cuz they can afford it. And it's up for sale. n/t

[gratuitous]

21. Because things aren't tilted heavily enough in their favor

Too much is never enough. That's what the haves who were running France late in the 18th Century thought, too.

[Orsino]

22. Wealth = power.

The kind of person who pursues one is likely to be enamored of the other, especially for the sheen of legitimacy.

[Johonny]

23. You've always had some extremely wealthy people in the mix

From FDR to JFK, Perot, Forbes, Koch, and Romney have all run. Don't forget the personal wealth of our first president.

With a huge wealth gap and tons of idle rich... it seems only natural they are flooding into politics.

[annabanana]

24. Because it's THERE . . .

no other reason required for these ego monsters