Episode Summary
You don’t need a law degree, a million Instagram followers, or a private jet to run for president. Legally, the bar is low. But in practice? That’s a different story.

In this episode, I unpack the real barriers to running for the highest office in the land — from fundraising and ballot access to party politics and media gatekeeping. It’s part behind-the-scenes explainer, part reality check, and part rallying cry for everyday people to imagine what might be possible if we rebuilt the system with us in mind.

In This Episode, I Talk About:

• What the Constitution actually requires (spoiler: it’s not much)
• The real costs of running — financially and emotionally
• What it takes to build a campaign team from scratch
• Fundraising fatigue and how much time candidates spend just asking for money
• Ballot access laws (like the 1M+ signatures you’d need to go nationwide)
• How political parties and media gatekeeping filter out “unserious” candidates
• Why regular people get left behind — and how that affects policy and democracy

Resources & Links:
Ballot Access & Requirements

• Ballot Access for Presidential Candidates – Ballotpedia

Campaign Costs & Fundraising Examples

• OpenSecrets – 2020 Election Costs
• RFK Jr. Ballot Access Costs – NY Post

Listener Prompt:
If you didn’t have to raise millions — or already be famous — would you ever consider running for something?
What would make it feel possible? What’s keeping you — or someone you know — out?

Support the Show:
If this episode gave you something to think about, share it with someone.
Leave a rating. Send a message. Start a conversation.
Because democracy isn’t just for the powerful — it’s for all of us.

Graphics and editing by Rory Lawson

Music by Universfield from Pixabay

Welcome to Why Not Me?, a podcast where I explore the wild idea of a regular person — me — running for President of the United States. In this first episode, I share my story: where I come from, what shaped me, and why I even started asking this question in the first place.

In This Episode:

• My Pennsylvania roots and working-class upbringing
• What I learned from nonprofits, government work, and higher ed
• Why I'm even thinking about this
• The big question: Could someone like me run — and should they?

Have you ever looked at a ballot and thought, “Seriously… these are my options?” What would it take for someone like you to run?

Use this link to send us a text, or email us at shana@whynotme2028.com

Graphics and editing by Rory Lawson

Music by Universfield from Pixabay