# Evan McMullin to launch independent Presidential bid... **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [August 8, 2016, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-mcmullin-to-launch-independent-presidential-bid/762134 "2016-08-08T13:41:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2016, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-mcmullin-to-launch-independent-presidential-bid/762134/21 "2016-08-08T17:24:25Z")
The object is to give those Republicans who won’t vote for Trump or Hillary a reason to come to the voting booth in November. This guy is the establishment conservative candidate. No, he won’t win, but he gives other establishment conservatives someone to promote so the Establishment types don’t all turn off and drop out, dooming the down-ballot races. It’s a long shot, counting on this guy with negative-name recognition, but no one with any real pretension of political ambitions is apparently willing to step up, so what are you going to do. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2016, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-mcmullin-to-launch-independent-presidential-bid/762134/22 "2016-08-08T17:35:09Z")
> [@Merneith](#): > > The object is to give those Republicans who won’t vote for Trump or Hillary a reason to come to the voting booth in November. This guy is the establishment conservative candidate. No, he won’t win, but he gives other establishment conservatives someone to promote so the Establishment types don’t all turn off and drop out, dooming the down-ballot races. Which states do you envision him fulfilling that objective? Which establishment conservatives do you imagine will promote this complete unknown? ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2016, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-mcmullin-to-launch-independent-presidential-bid/762134/23 "2016-08-08T17:38:17Z")
I didn’t say it was going to be successful. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2016, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-mcmullin-to-launch-independent-presidential-bid/762134/24 "2016-08-08T17:45:32Z")
Ok, but you said that was the plan so I wonder which states and establishment conservatives you think are part of that plan. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2016, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-mcmullin-to-launch-independent-presidential-bid/762134/25 "2016-08-08T18:02:41Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > Ok, but you said that was the plan so I wonder which states and establishment conservatives you think are part of that plan. [QUOTE=ABC News] The group says prominent Republicans will back McMullin, who has some well-known GOP operatives working behind the effort, including Republican consultant Rick Wilson and Florida-based pollster and operative Joel Searby. Better for America has been funded in part by John Kingston, a Boston-based conservative donor who bundled for Mitt Romney. [/QUOTE] [Prominent. Republicans.](http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/cia-agent-evan-mcmullin-launch-independent-presidential-bid/story?id=41201256) Don’t fight the hypothetical. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2016, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-mcmullin-to-launch-independent-presidential-bid/762134/26 "2016-08-08T18:34:46Z")
This is all kinds of confusing. From that article: > [@](#): > > The operatives working on McMullin’s bid resigned from Better for America in order to push his candidacy. Better for America, a 501(c)(4) organization that cannot officially endorse or back McMullin’s bid, has been working for months on trying to select a candidate and get on ballots throughout the country. So BfA can’t officially endorse anyone but they’re selecting a candidate and trying to get on ballots? They just got their candidate, so were they trying to get “person to be named later” on the ballot? And their [“about us” page](https://www.betterforamerica.com/about)says: > [@](#): > > We’re doing the hard work of organizing in all 50 states — building the infrastructure for a national campaign from scratch. So they can’t support a candidate but they can just hand over all this infrastructure? Seems pretty lame and dodgy. Slow news day I guess. ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2016, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-mcmullin-to-launch-independent-presidential-bid/762134/27 "2016-08-08T18:43:40Z")
Yawn. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for anyone who publicly opposes Trump, but this will have less effect than a write-in campaign for Romney or Ryan. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2016, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-mcmullin-to-launch-independent-presidential-bid/762134/28 "2016-08-08T18:46:09Z")
Look, whatever ultimately contributes to Trump’s fat orange head exploding can’t be an entirely bad idea. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Ace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6bbea6/32.png) [@Johnny\_Ace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Ace)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2016, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-mcmullin-to-launch-independent-presidential-bid/762134/29 "2016-08-08T18:51:19Z")
It’s still a fart in the wind. ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2016, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-mcmullin-to-launch-independent-presidential-bid/762134/30 "2016-08-08T20:33:37Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > Ok, but you said that was the plan so I wonder which states and establishment conservatives you think are part of that plan. It’s the #NeverTrump crowd. Bill Kristol, Rick Wilson, David Frum. They’ve been around for months. They think that Trump is the cause of all the madness, not a symptom of deep problems in the Republican party as a whole. They think that if they can force Trump out, either at the convention or through some sort of legal shenanigans, then the voters will all snap back into place and get behind whichever pasty white Christian male that they can prop up front. Yes, it’s irrational. That’s what you get when you rely on faith-based policies. Read more about it - Brett Bauer of the New Republic thinks that in addition to trying to salvage the down-ticket races, #NeverTrumpers are desperate to disavow what Trump’s choice says about the GOP. > **[Conservatives Are Desperate to Pretend Donald Trump Never Happened](https://newrepublic.com/article/135871/conservatives-desperate-pretend-donald-trump-never-happened)** > > They want him to drop out not just to protect the country, but to sweep him under the rug. This article from the Guardian by Sabrina Siddiqui also suggests that the #NeverTrump movement is trying to pretend that conservatives aren’t at fault for Trump’s win. > **[Republican Evan McMullin to launch presidential run against Trump](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/aug/08/republican-evan-mcmullin-presidential-run-trump)** > > Little-known former policy director and CIA agent to announce independent run for president in contrast to Donald Trump > [@Sabrina Siddiqui](#): > > Rory Cooper, a Republican strategist who counts himself among the Never Trump ranks, said it was important to have a candidate “draw a distinction between Trump and conservatism” regardless of the odds. > > “There are clear and obvious hurdles to an independent run at this point, especially not being a household name, but I assume they are well aware of them and I’ll withhold judgment and keep an open mind,” said Cooper, who served as an aide to former House majority leader Eric Cantor. > > “The next generation of leaders need to step up and start making a difference or conservatism will be electorally challenged for years to come.” ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2016, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-mcmullin-to-launch-independent-presidential-bid/762134/31 "2016-08-08T20:53:34Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > How could he possibly have good ground game organization? A guy who’s never run for anything and probably never organized more than his wife’s birthday party is going set up a multi-state petition drive/ballot access campaign? I’m sure there are a lot of experienced Democrats who will be volunteering to help him get his campaign up and running. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2016, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-mcmullin-to-launch-independent-presidential-bid/762134/32 "2016-08-08T21:01:27Z")
I agree with Carnal, this is a fool’s errand, but it’s not my time or money and if this guy is willing to waste 3 months of his life so he can suction off 4,000 votes from DJT in Utah and Idaho, well, be my guest. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2016, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-mcmullin-to-launch-independent-presidential-bid/762134/33 "2016-08-08T21:05:25Z")
> [@Merneith](#): > > It’s the #NeverTrump crowd. Bill Kristol, Rick Wilson, David Frum. They’ve been around for months. They think that Trump is the cause of all the madness, not a symptom of deep problems in the Republican party as a whole. They think that if they can force Trump out, either at the convention or through some sort of legal shenanigans, then the voters will all snap back into place and get behind whichever pasty white Christian male that they can prop up front. I am failing to see what any of this has to do with what we were talking about. Yes, of course, the #NeverTrump guys want to disavow Trump and say he doesn’t really represent Republicans. Yes of course they hoped to deny him the nomination - it’s kind of right in their name, but that time is well passed. We were talking about the strategic purpose of this no name #NeverTrumpist running an independent Presidential campaign. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2016, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-mcmullin-to-launch-independent-presidential-bid/762134/34 "2016-08-08T21:11:13Z")
If McMullin were even remotely serious, he would have called his family and friends in Utah, gotten the 1,000 signatures and filed to get on the ballot. If the Prominent Republicans knew what they were doing, they would have had their friends in places like Idaho, Iowa and Tennessee also getting petition signatures, and they would have scrounged up enough money to pay the filing fees in Colorado and Louisiana. Maybe they would have worked with some of the Kasich people to get 5,000 signatures in Ohio. Then McMullin could announce that he had already gotten on the ballot in a number of states and maybe I could take this semi-seriously. He didn’t and they haven’t, so I can’t. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2016, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-mcmullin-to-launch-independent-presidential-bid/762134/35 "2016-08-08T21:17:56Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > He didn’t and they haven’t, so I can’t. B.I.N.G.O. This is obviously just an inflated-ego driven protest stunt rather than a real money/organizational backed #NeverTrump or get out the Republican voters move. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Lowry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Sam\_Lowry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Lowry)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2016, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-mcmullin-to-launch-independent-presidential-bid/762134/36 "2016-08-08T21:44:43Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > If McMullin were even remotely serious, he would have called his family and friends in Utah, gotten the 1,000 signatures and filed to get on the ballot. If the Prominent Republicans knew what they were doing, they would have had their friends in places like Idaho, Iowa and Tennessee also getting petition signatures, and they would have scrounged up enough money to pay the filing fees in Colorado and Louisiana. Maybe they would have worked with some of the Kasich people to get 5,000 signatures in Ohio. Then McMullin could announce that he had already gotten on the ballot in a number of states and maybe I could take this semi-seriously. > > He didn’t and they haven’t, so I can’t. It sounds like you’re thinking that McMullin had been wanting to run but wasn’t serious enough to get on the ballot sooner but still he was able to get the support of the Never Trumpers because he’s not Trump. I had assumed that the Never Trump group had been wanting to get someone to run, and been having a hard time finding someone suitable who would be willing to do it. There are other people who would have been suitable candidates who probably were unwilling to do it, since it is a losing campaign, and they are deliberately splitting the Republican party, and maybe how this campaign goes will affect any future campaigns. But then after searching the Never Trump group finally found McMullin, and he’s a good Mormon with no scandals who holds the correct political views, and has no political career to harm so he’s the perfect candidate for the group’s specific goals. I’m not sure who’s correct. I’d like to see if McMullin gets any endorsements or ads or obvious financial pushes. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2016, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-mcmullin-to-launch-independent-presidential-bid/762134/37 "2016-08-08T21:50:28Z")
As much as I’d like this to be a real movement that siphons rational Republican votes away from Trump, I have to conclude that this is more like an insignificant non-event. Rational Republicans are either going to stay home or vote for Hillary, and a tiny handful of the Libertarian persuasion will vote for Johnson. I don’t know who would vote for this guy if he’s even on the ballot. That said, I wouldn’t characterize never-Trumpers like Bill Kristol, Rick Wilson, or David Frum as “irrational”. I don’t know Rick Wilson but Kristol and Frum are genuinely concerned about their party, and Frum is a downright moderate among US Republicans who loathes Trump about as much as the rest of us. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2016, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-mcmullin-to-launch-independent-presidential-bid/762134/38 "2016-08-08T21:52:31Z")
As a movie buff, I can’t help but notice the similarity in his name and “[McGuffin](https://www.google.com/search?q=mcguffin&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS694US694&oq=mcguffin&aqs=chrome..69i57.1776j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8)”. Well, whatever drives the story forward. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2016, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-mcmullin-to-launch-independent-presidential-bid/762134/39 "2016-08-08T22:17:48Z")
> [@Sam\_Lowry](#): > > It sounds like you’re thinking that McMullin had been wanting to run but wasn’t serious enough to get on the ballot sooner but still he was able to get the support of the Never Trumpers because he’s not Trump. I think what he’s saying is that if they (him and Better for America) were serious they would have made this announcement with something tangible in hand. 26 deadlines have passed, a good chunk only a week or two ago. 7 more pass this Wednesday. They haven’t done any of the required leg work to be taken seriously. If he just decided to run Sunday night, then that’s too frigging late. If you decide to start running a marathon 2 hours after the starting gun, no one is going to consider you serious about it. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2016, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-mcmullin-to-launch-independent-presidential-bid/762134/40 "2016-08-08T22:30:19Z")
As to his “correct political views”, from the Guardian article linked above: > [@](#): > > “People who talk tough about Isis, but then spend all of their time attacking refugees, know little about keeping America safe,” McMullin wrote in January during a Republican debate. Sounds reasonable, but is it “Right”? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-mcmullin-to-launch-independent-presidential-bid/762134.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-mcmullin-to-launch-independent-presidential-bid/762134.md?page=3)