Of all the reasons former South Carolina Rep. Mark Sanford could have given to run for president, he couldn’t have possibly picked a dumber one than “to further and foster a national debate.”

It’s like he thought to himself, 'How can I outdo my last public embarrassment? Ah-ha! I know! I’ll run for president on a platform of talking about debt!'

The jokes about Sanford and his Argentinian mistress are too easy. What would be truly difficult is coming up with a lamer presidential bid.

Sanford resigned as governor of South Carolina in 2009 after he was caught skipping town and having an overseas affair. Republican voters gave him a second chance in 2013 when they elected him to Congress and, like every good elected Republican, he decided his time was best spent over the last couple years by writing New York Times op-eds criticizing President Trump, his party’s wildly popular leader.

He lost his primary last year.

As remarkable a political career as that may be, someone should tell Sanford that there are plenty of ways to talk about debt and deficits that don’t involve a pointless run for president in a party that doesn’t want him.

He could write more op-eds. He could go on Morning Joe. He could tweet.

Those are all respectable options. But I’m guessing that’s why Sanford isn’t interested in them.