Forgive my lack of knowledge, but can anyone decide at any time that they want to be President, and to hell with fundraising, hectic schedules, debates and all? Why all these primaries then?
> but can anyone decide at any time that they want to be President <
I’ll field that one. There are no laws that govern the primary process. It is left entirely up to the political parties to make their own rules.
Both parties have decided that the person with the majority of the primary delegates at the convention will automatically get the presidential nomination. But if no one gets a majority - as seems likely with the D’s - open voting is allowed starting with the second ballot.
So starting with the second ballot, delegates can vote for anyone they want...Michelle Obama, me, you, or even the guy who plays Big Bird on TV.
Yes, anyone at any time can decide to run. However, you have to qualify to be on each state’s ballot. And many states (if I recall correctly) will not count write-ins.