Perhaps you hadn't noticed he was running in the first place (he never made it into any of the televised debates, which he believes is part of the problem) but Charles Elson "Buddy" Roemer of Louisiana, who was elected to Congress four times and to the governorship once as a Democrat, then switched to the Republican Party during his term as guv, will end his quest for the Repub presidential nomination and instead seek the nomination of either the Reform Party or the "Americans Elect" movement. That was a long sentence.

The Reform Party is what is left of the Ross Perot movement. (The Independence Party of Minnesota, which used to be its Minnesota branch, is no longer affiliated with it, but it was still the Reform Party when Jesse Ventura won in 1998). The national Reform Party focuses on balanced budget and anti-corruption issues. Americans Elect is a new movement that is working to get on the presidential ballot in as many states as possible, then nominate a candidate through an online convention. It has achieved ballot status in at least 15 states including the biggest state (California) and likely key swing states. the most politically prominent person associated with the Americans Elect is board member Christine Todd Whitman, former Republican governor of New Jersey (and former EPA administrator).

Why should you care?

Perhaps you shouldn't. No third party has ever elected a president, unless you count Abraham Lincoln in 1860, although in that chaotic election it's hard to say that the relatively new Republican Party was a third party. (The Republican ticket ran second to the Democrats in the 1856 election.)

But as America learned especially in 2000, in a very close election, a minor party that gets as little as one or 2 percent of the vote can definitely change the outcome in a state or two, which, if the stars align that way, can determine the national result. Among the states in which Americans Elect has gained ballot status are the two big traditional presidential swing states of Ohio and Florida.

I'm not suggesting that Buddy Roemer is likely to affect the outcome of the election, nor even that his name will appear on any ballots. This is mostly just a reminder that our system, even a tiny party can effect the outcome and it is not delusional to imagine something like that happening this year.

The Libertarian Party is great at getting on the ballots, having achieved 50-state access three times in recent history. Gary Johnson, the former New Mexico governor who was briefly famous for a dog-doo joke he made during one of the Republican debates, is seeking that party's nomination. (Although the Libertarian national vote total has exceeded 1 percent -- and barely -- only one time in the last 10 elections.)

Ron Paul has declined to rule out a third-party candidacy (although he always says he has no such plans or intentions). Donald Trump, who is now working pretty hard for Mitt Romney, said recently that he would "seriously, seriously" consider running as an independent if Rick Santorum gets the Repub nomination.

Don't bet on any of these possibilities affecting the 2012 presidential outcome. Just don't rule it out.