Barbour Declines to Run

Barbour

Haley Barbour has officially announced that he will not seek the Republican nomination for president. This marks the first time a candidate on the Elephant Watcher roster has decided to leave the race. An update has been made to the Status Page to reflect Barbour's decision.

In addition, the Rankings of the candidates have been updated. Barbour's departure from the race will have negligible impact: Elephant Watcher calculated his odds of winning the nomination at 0%. However, Rick Santorum and Ron Paul--each of whom were ranked lower than Barbour and also have a 0% chance of victory--will advance a rank in Barbour's absence.

Barbour stated that he lacked the "fire in the belly" needed to make the run. His inability to generate enthusiasm or attract support likely played a role in his decision as well.