I'm Thinking Of Announcing That I'm Thinking About Making An Announcement

Hunter at Daily Kos has a piece entitled The Many, Many Stages Of Announcing You're Running For President.

Once you've announced, you have to start spending a whole lot of money on a campaign. But if you're coy about it, you can lure the media into covering you -- for free! -- for months.

Hunter outlines the steps the wily old pro Newt Gingrich took, with details, dates, and links. Here's the summary:

1. Getting called "a possible contender" on cable TV, or calling yourself a contender

2. Letting a friend leak that you're "considering a run"

3. Saying yourself that you're "considering a run"

4. Announcing the possible formation of an exploratory committee

5. Announcing the actual formation of that exploratory committee

6. Announcing that over the next few months, you may be announcing

7. Announcing that your announcement may be imminent

8) Announcing that you will, in fact, be announcing something

9. Announcing that you will be announcing something in a certain week or day

10. Announcing the date or time of your announcement

11. Announcing that your announcement will be that you're announcing that you will run

12. Announcing "unofficially" that your announcement for running will be imminent (within 24 hours)

13. Announcing!

"Today I am announcing my candidacy for President of the United States. You can watch my announcement here." http://bit.ly/...

If you're following the Newtster's template, the next step is to make a complete idiot of yourself for a week.