Can any of the thousands of Fredheads here explain what, if any, advantage is gained by waiting this long to announce?
He has received far more airtime than the other Republican candidates without having to fall under the equal time clause. He is receiving more airtime during the crucial Labor Day weekend campaign period which generally designates the traditional kick off of primary campaigning. He will receive more airtime this week as he announces. He will have received more airtime around the crucial 9.11 time period. He sets himself apart from the business as usual campaigners by being an 'outsider'. He can establish most of his campaign unofficially, including web presence, State offices, etc, outside the campaign finance controls (ie, he can have most of his initial expenses covered before he has to declare his first quarter of revenue, thus, keeping more cash on hand.)
All in all, he leads by waiting.. why not wait if it works? What would be the advantage of declaring with all the others?
Besides campaign fatigue?
I am not a fredhead yet, and may never be, but can I ask the question in reverse:
what advantage to any candidates get by starting as early as they have?
And I don’t consider the states jockeying for early primaries as any kind of advantage.