The 12 Worst Presidents We Almost Had

Ah, the history of presidential hopefuls! It’s a fascinating and sometimes strange journey, full of colorful characters and unexpected twists and turns. From Henry Ford, who refused to run because of his controversial views about Jews, to Dan Rice, the 19th century celebrity who tried to run for president but had to drop out, to David Duke, the former KKK leader who won a seat in the Louisiana House of Representatives, to George Wallace, whose campaign was funded by wealthy oilmen and famous people, to John G. Schmitz, whose bigotry paid off in the form of a million votes, to Pigasus the Immortal, who was arrested for his presidential run, to Joseph Smith, the religious leader who wanted to bring about a moral revival but was killed before he could become president, to "Nobody," who got 43% of the vote, including ours, had we been alive.

This list is a testament to the potential of human ambition, and the sometimes unpredictable outcomes of those ambitions, and the frequently appalling levels of morals and/or brainpower behind that ambition.