So, you remember that time a cable news character almost became the leader of the free world? Or at least, the leader of South Carolina?
It sounds like a Fever dream now, but Stephen Colbert runs for president wasn't just a one-off joke. It was a multi-year, legally complex, and surprisingly influential piece of performance art. Most people remember the Doritos sponsorship or the "Mitt the Ripper" ads, but the actual mechanics of how a comedian almost crashed the 2008 and 2012 elections are way weirder than the highlights.
Honestly, it started with a sword. Back in October 2007, Stephen (playing his "Colbert Report" persona) claimed he needed a sign to run. He got it when Viggo Mortensen—yes, Aragorn himself—handed him the sword Anduril on air.
He wasn't just running for the White House. He was running specifically for the "President of the United States of South Carolina."
The 2008 Run: The "Nacho Cheese" Campaign
The 2008 attempt was pure satire with a very real price tag. Stephen's plan was to run as both a Democrat and a Republican. Why? So he could "lose twice."
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But the South Carolina GOP had a $35,000 filing fee. Stephen, ever the fiscal conservative (in character), balked at that. He decided to stick with the Democrats, where the fee was only $2,500. He even had a corporate sponsor: The Hail to the Cheese Stephen Colbert’s Nacho Cheese Doritos 2008 Presidential Campaign.
It wasn't all just laughs, though. Some polls at the time had him at 13% as an independent. Among voters aged 18–29, he was pulling closer to 28%. That’s not "funny haha" territory; that’s "this could actually mess up the primary" territory.
The Ballot Rejection
On November 1, 2007, the South Carolina Democratic Party executive council killed the dream. They voted 13–3 to keep him off the ballot. Their reasoning? He wasn't a "viable" candidate.
Colbert’s response was classic: "Although I lost by the slimmest margin in presidential election history—only 10 votes—I have chosen not to put the country through another agonizing Supreme Court battle. It is time for this nation to heal."
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2012 and the "Loop-Chasms" of Super PACs
If 2008 was about the pageantry of campaigning, 2012 was a surgical strike on campaign finance. This is where things got legally heavy.
Stephen formed a Super PAC called Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow. Because of the Citizens United ruling, this group could raise unlimited money from basically anyone.
- The Problem: You can't run for office and run a Super PAC at the same time. That's "coordination," and it's illegal.
- The Solution: Stephen handed the Super PAC over to Jon Stewart.
- The Catch: They literally did the handoff on air. The PAC was renamed "The Definitely Not Co-ordinated With Stephen Colbert Super PAC."
By doing this, they showed everyone how easy it was to bypass the law. They weren't "coordinating"; they were just two friends talking on TV about what the PAC should do. It was a "loop-chasm," as Stephen called it.
Raising Real Money
This wasn't just play money. By January 2012, the PAC had raised over $1 million. They ran actual attack ads in South Carolina. One ad portrayed Mitt Romney as "Mitt the Ripper," a serial killer of companies. They even encouraged people to vote for Herman Cain—who had already dropped out—just to see if they could beat the active candidates.
It worked. Cain (and by extension, Colbert) got about 6,000 votes in the South Carolina primary, which was more than some actual candidates who were still in the race.
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Why It Still Matters
What most people get wrong is thinking this was just a stunt for ratings. While it definitely helped the show, it also provided a massive public service.
Stephen brought his lawyer, former FEC Chairman Trevor Potter, on the show repeatedly. They explained the "dark money" 501(c)(4) shells and the lack of transparency in a way that a dry news segment never could. He even received a Peabody Award for it.
He proved that in the American system, money is speech, and if you have enough of it, you can say whatever you want—even if what you’re saying is that the system is broken.
Actionable Insights for the Politically Curious
If you're looking back at the "Colbert Effect" on elections, here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Check the FEC Filings: You can still look up the old "Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow" filings. It’s a masterclass in how PACs move money.
- Watch the "Potter Segments": If you want to understand modern campaign finance, find the old clips with Trevor Potter. They are more educational than most college political science courses.
- Monitor Modern Satire: Look at how current late-night hosts handle "The Late Show" today. The DNA of the 2012 run is in every segment that tries to explain complex legislation through comedy.
Stephen Colbert’s run for president showed us that the line between entertainment and politics isn't just thin—it might not exist at all. It wasn't just about the jokes; it was about showing the "farce" that James Madison warned about.
Next time an election cycle feels like a circus, just remember: at least nobody is trying to run a campaign sponsored by Nacho Cheese Doritos. Well, not officially, anyway.