# 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:** 3
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2016, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-mcmullin-to-launch-independent-presidential-bid/762134/41 "2016-08-08T23:55:30Z")
I suspect that the main purpose is just to get someone on Sunday morning talk-shows who can give the Frum/Kristol/Romney line on what Republicans are about, rather than have that discussion be totally dominated for the next three months by whatever crazy thing Trump said that day. A lot of voters only tune in around the election, so the obvoius fear is that for the establishment GOP is that Trump is the main such voters will associate the GOP with for the next four years. Agree even if he gets on a few ballots, it will make zero difference electorally. His name will just get lumped in with the Prohibition candidate party nominee, Vermain Supreme, and all the other randoms. But the fact that he’s on a few state ballots will give any press venues an excuse to invite him on during their election coverage (and for the next three months, almost all coverage will be election coverage). ---
**Author:** ![WillFarnaby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/willfarnaby/32/514_2.png) [@WillFarnaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WillFarnaby)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2016, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-mcmullin-to-launch-independent-presidential-bid/762134/42 "2016-08-09T01:32:49Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > He’s just a place for Republicans who hate Trump and won’t vote libertarian to go. This probably hurts Gary Johnson more than it does Donald Trump. Yep. This is for the Mormons because Johnson is a pothead who doesn’t love war. ---
**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 9, 2016, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-mcmullin-to-launch-independent-presidential-bid/762134/43 "2016-08-09T02:41:27Z")
Mormons love war? Learn something new every day. ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2016, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-mcmullin-to-launch-independent-presidential-bid/762134/44 "2016-08-09T04:11:36Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > 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. You say that like people only ever have good strategies and cunning plans. Their strategic purpose is to put up a “true establishment conservative” type, so that they can distance themselves from Trump’s sideshow and prop up their failing self-identity which is threatened by seeing the Republican brand associated with naked racism and stupidity. They won’t say that last bit out loud, usually, but it’s what’s driving, for example, mild-mannered David Brooks to declare that Donald is psychologically damaged and that the time is come for Republicans to stop standing by him, even in embarassment. [http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/05/opinion/trumps-enablers-will-finally-have-to-take-a-stand.html](http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/05/opinion/trumps-enablers-will-finally-have-to-take-a-stand.html) > [@David Brooks](#): > > Events are going to force Republicans off the fence. For the past many months Republican leaders have been condemning Trump’s acts while sticking with Trump the man. Trump is making that position ridiculous and shameful. You either stand with a man whose very essence is an insult to basic decency, or you don’t. > > Those who don’t will have to start building a Republican Party in Exile. They will have to tell the country what they honestly think of Donald Trump. They will have to build a parallel campaign structure that will survive if Trump implodes, a structure of congressional and local candidates. They will have to jointly propose a clear manifesto — five or 10 policies the party in exile ardently supports. > > There comes a time when neutrality and laying low become dishonorable. If you’re not in revolt, you’re in cahoots. When this period and your name are mentioned, decades hence, your grandkids will look away in shame. I quoted Eldridge Cleaver’s famous IF-THEN statemenet a few days ago. I can’t help thinking that’s symptomatic that Brooks decided to paraphrase him rather than quote him, because quoting him would point out that the #NeverTrumps are not really part of the solution (which is - vote Hillary). The point is - #NeverTrump conservatives aren’t trying to win the election. They just want someone they can feel good about supporting, who will hopefully get conservatives to the voting booth in enough numbers that down-ticket races aren’t a blowout. It also gives them mental permission to resist the call to do something productive to stop Trump - namely, vote Democrat. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2016, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-mcmullin-to-launch-independent-presidential-bid/762134/45 "2016-08-09T04:38:59Z")
Kinda funny that Kristol et. al. have gone from saying they were going to put Romney on the ballot in 50 states to oppose Trump, to (maybe) putting some random House staffer on the ballot in Utah. By October they’ll be trying to push an intern at the Heritage Foundation as a write in candidate. And the intern will turn them down. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2016, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-mcmullin-to-launch-independent-presidential-bid/762134/46 "2016-08-09T08:53:53Z")
Is he pro-life? Then maybe he’s someone my mom can vote for. ---
**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 9, 2016, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-mcmullin-to-launch-independent-presidential-bid/762134/47 "2016-08-09T12:55:49Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > 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. That definitely makes sense. I was just assuming that it took Better for America that long to find him, since they probably spent a while begging/trying to persuade Romney, then other high profile Republicans, then other smaller profile Republicans, then very small profile Republicans, then total non-politicians who would fit the bill, before finding and working things out with McMullin. I don’t know much about Better for America, but a lot of Never Trump people were still hoping for things to change at the convention, and since that didn’t work out maybe they only began their desperate search for an independent run after that. But I’m just speculating. If we don’t ever hear anything about McMullin again, then you’re right about the campaign not being at all serious. But if there are ads and endorsements, then it might be at least somewhat serious, even if it’s still questionable how successful it will be. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2016, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-mcmullin-to-launch-independent-presidential-bid/762134/48 "2016-08-09T13:18:35Z")
Did somebody say Egg McMuffin? ---
**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 9, 2016, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-mcmullin-to-launch-independent-presidential-bid/762134/49 "2016-08-09T14:01:35Z")
If his purpose is to be a draw for #NeverTrumpists to bother voting so as to save down ballot candidates then he has very little time, at least as far as Senate battles go. Looking at the [crystal ball](http://www.centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/2016-senate/), there’s about 6 “toss up” seats held by Republicans. Florida, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Indiana’s deadlines have all passed. Ohio and New Hampshire are tomorrow. There’s always court action, I suppose. ---
**Author:** ![WillFarnaby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/willfarnaby/32/514_2.png) [@WillFarnaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WillFarnaby)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2016, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-mcmullin-to-launch-independent-presidential-bid/762134/50 "2016-08-09T15:14:13Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > Mormons love war? Learn something new every day. Judging from their choices for public office, yes. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2016, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-mcmullin-to-launch-independent-presidential-bid/762134/51 "2016-08-09T15:56:14Z")
> [@Sam\_Lowry](#): > > That definitely makes sense. I was just assuming that it took Better for America that long to find him, since they probably spent a while begging/trying to persuade Romney, then other high profile Republicans, then other smaller profile Republicans, then very small profile Republicans, then total non-politicians who would fit the bill, before finding and working things out with McMullin. I find it somewhat interesting that with the “deepest bench of qualified candidates ever” in the primary, they couldn’t find one occupant of the clown car who was willing to throw him or herself into the breach. ---
**Author:** ![Catamount](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/catamount/32/2840_2.png) [@Catamount](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catamount)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2016, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-mcmullin-to-launch-independent-presidential-bid/762134/52 "2016-08-09T15:59:43Z")
> [@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. > > Yes, it’s irrational. That’s what you get when you rely on faith-based policies. > \ The bolded part is the whole problem in a nutshell. This is just another desperate stunt from a party that is circling the drain with increasing speed. They’ve spent the last eight years being obstructionists, alienating non-white voters, and cozying up to their donors to the detriment of their constituents and Trump is the result. The party leaders have lost control and they don’t want to admit it yet. The books that will be written about this election are going to be spectacular. ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2016, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-mcmullin-to-launch-independent-presidential-bid/762134/53 "2016-08-09T16:15:04Z")
Oh, it’s been going on longer than eight years. ---
**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:** [September 7, 2016, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-mcmullin-to-launch-independent-presidential-bid/762134/54 "2016-09-07T21:20:25Z")
> [@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? [Stop being right, dammit.](http://www.politico.com/story/2016/09/evan-mcmullin-running-mate-227803) 😛 > [@](#): > > **Whoops: Independent candidate appears to have accidentally picked a running mate** > > Evan McMullin intended the vice presidential candidate listed on his applications for state ballots to be only a placeholder, but the states say the name will appear on the ballot in November. ---
**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:** [September 7, 2016, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-mcmullin-to-launch-independent-presidential-bid/762134/55 "2016-09-07T22:12:51Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > [Stop being right, dammit.](http://www.politico.com/story/2016/09/evan-mcmullin-running-mate-227803) 😛 Since he has zero chance anyway he should have just rolled with it and not admitted it was a place holder. Not like anyone would pay enough attention to discover that ol’ Nathan is his favorite bartender. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2016, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-mcmullin-to-launch-independent-presidential-bid/762134/56 "2016-09-07T23:56:12Z")
This isn’t actually a real presidential campaign. It’s just a hobby for disaffected Republican consultants who are pissed that Trump won the nomination without paying them millions of dollars in the process. They **deserve** to run a presidential campaign so they’re gonna do it even without a real candidate. It could be totally fake names and it would be just as meaningful. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2016, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-mcmullin-to-launch-independent-presidential-bid/762134/57 "2016-09-12T18:11:37Z")
So has this guy surged ahead in the polls yet, or what? ---
**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:** [September 13, 2016, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-mcmullin-to-launch-independent-presidential-bid/762134/58 "2016-09-13T02:26:23Z")
According to the last link, McMullin’s gotten on the ballot in nine states. Since this is more than I expected out of him and his supporters, I’ll grudgingly give him credit for that. Not that it will makie the slightest difference. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2016, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-mcmullin-to-launch-independent-presidential-bid/762134/59 "2016-09-13T03:23:22Z")
**The polls be lullin’, Trump be sullen**– **Vote McMullin** \*!\* ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2016, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-mcmullin-to-launch-independent-presidential-bid/762134/60 "2016-09-13T04:40:50Z")
I’m guessing there is no Nathan Johnson. Well, I can change my name and be his Remington Steele. 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-mcmullin-to-launch-independent-presidential-bid/762134.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-mcmullin-to-launch-independent-presidential-bid/762134.md?page=4)