Marianne Williamson's bizarre presidential campaign comes to an end

Author Marianne Williamson ended her pursuit of the Democratic presidential nomination Friday, concluding a bizarre campaign that will be remembered (to the extent it is remembered at all) for the odd soundbites Williamson provided in debates and interviews.

Many people may have been unaware before this announcement that Williamson was still running for president, as she had not qualified for a debate since July and was struggling to get to even 1% in many polls. Williamson decided she had maximized her ability to spread her message, so it was time to get out of the way of other candidates.

"I stayed in the race to take advantage of every possible effort to share our message," Williamson wrote in her statement. "With caucuses and primaries now about to begin, however, we will not be able to garner enough votes in the election to elevate our conversation any more than it is now. The primaries might be tightly contested among the top contenders, and I don't want to get in the way of a progressive candidate winning any of them."

Williamson laid off her entire campaign staff earlier in January, saying she would move forward with volunteers.

Her campaign was heavily based on her New Age views of spirituality and love, and she rejected most serious and detailed discussion of policy. Her belief was that President Donald Trump won because he exploited fear, not because of policy; therefore, she would run on a platform that love would overcome fear.

One of her most noteworthy debate moments came when she spoke against the "dark psychic force of collectivized hatred" perpetuated by Trump in America.

She was credited for some of her stances on racial justice and environmental issues in July, but the increased interest in her campaign after that also led to an increased scrutiny of her past comments, such as her stance against vaccinations and her description of clinical depression as a "scam."

Despite her peculiar ways and beliefs, her presence in the early debates provided some relief from the deep dives into Medicare for All and immigration policy, making her something of a fan favorite among some viewers online.

Williamson said she will support whoever wins the Democratic nomination.

And now, some parting wisdom from Marianne Williamson: