George Washington and James Monroe(1820) were unopposed .
2 candidates * 5 vice-president candidates = 10 combinations.
NO-- Nobody can be forced to run for president or for any other elected office.
It's 3 x 5 or 15.
Primary
They're not. Right now, the focus is on the Republican party because the Democrats have the incumbent, President Obama. The Republicans are deciding who will run against Obama.
President Arthur never ran for President.
The republican party was who wanted Lincoln to run for president. The other possible candidates were William Seward, Salmon Chase, and Edward Bates.
If you are referring to the Governor of a US state - - every four years the candidates announce their intention to run for election to the office. Their political parties assist them with their campaigns against any opposition candidates and they are elected by popular vote.
President George W. Bush ran against Senator John Kerry in 2004. President Bush won. Jim Carey, an actor, never ran for political office and never ran against any President of the USA.
Candidates run for president because their party is convinced (or at least hoping) that the candidate can win for the party; the candidates run because people, like their party and others with vested interests, convince them that they're a winner and their head gets full of 'their power' to win. Oversimplified, but as close to the reason as you'll get.
----general election (novanet)----
General election.