# 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:** 13\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2016, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-mcmullin-to-launch-independent-presidential-bid/762134/61 "2016-09-13T04:45:27Z")
Has he named a VP yet, other than THIS SPACE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK? ---
**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 13, 2016, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-mcmullin-to-launch-independent-presidential-bid/762134/62 "2016-09-13T14:30:14Z")
Just dropping by to say I read the OP title as \*\*Egg McMuffin to launch independent Presidential bid… \*\* ---
**Author:** ![Enlightening\_Meditation](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecc23a/32.png) [@Enlightening\_Meditation](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enlightening_Meditation)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2016, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-mcmullin-to-launch-independent-presidential-bid/762134/63 "2016-10-14T11:14:55Z")
This thread needs a bump given [recent trends in Utah polling](http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2016/10/12/evan_mcmullin_tied_with_trump_and_clinton_in_utah.html) > [@CarnalK](#): > > > [@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. Actually, there is a slim non-zero chance that McMullin can become POTUS if… 1. He wins in Utah to gain 6 electoral college votes and then… 1. The electoral college deadlocks with no candidate reaching 270 electoral votes and then… 1. The GOP controlled House of Representatives selects McMullin per 12th Amendment procedures in the event of a deadlocked electoral college. The House has only chosen the POTUS one time: John Quincy Adams in 1824. This was controversial due to Andrew Jackson having a plurality of electoral college votes, but Jackson got payback by winning in 1828. Article at FiveThirtyEight: [How Evan McMullin Could Win Utah And The Presidency](http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/how-evan-mcmullin-could-win-utah-and-the-presidency/?ex_cid=2016-forecast) With two historically unpalatable awful major party nominees, there is a longshot dark horse for whom disgusted independents can have faint hope. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2016, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-mcmullin-to-launch-independent-presidential-bid/762134/64 "2016-10-14T11:24:53Z")
> [@Lord\_Feldon](#): > > 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. I think the real purpose of the campaign is to prevent the Libertarians from scooping up enough protest votes to gain some cred and start peeling off some of the non-Talibornagain non-Amerimperialist fiscal conservatives. ---
**Author:** ![crucible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@crucible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crucible)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2016, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-mcmullin-to-launch-independent-presidential-bid/762134/65 "2016-10-14T11:36:48Z")
The guy has growing percentage of likely voters in Utah. Not distant, but still a bit behind less than 25% each Trump and Clinton. If Johnson were to withdraw in Utah, asking his voters to go for McM, he has a decent chance of getting electors. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2016, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-mcmullin-to-launch-independent-presidential-bid/762134/66 "2016-10-14T11:43:12Z")
Won’t happen. The republicans overwhelmingly control the House of Representatives until January. Trump is the single most powerful republican figure in the party right now and he’s a potent force. Nobody’s going to stand up to him until it’s safe to do so. And if Trump gets an electoral vote count in the 260s, it would be because of overwhelming GOP voter support. Thus, it wouldn’t be very safe to stand up to Trump under those circumstances. Meanwhile, if my understanding is correct, if there is no electoral winner outright, it would then go to the House. But I don’t think there’s any rule that tells them when to submit a vote. The senate (again GOP controlled) could actually hastily arrange a vote to have Mike Pence as the Vice-Presidential winner. But if the House fails to come to an agreement before the day of inauguration in January, then Mike Pence becomes the acting president until they do force a decisive vote, which would probably be for Trump. But a successful never Trump bid is just as likely to make Mike Pence acting president as it would Evan McMullin. Both scenarios, though, seem unlikely. I suspect the GOP would go pretty much on party lines and make the Donald the King. ---
**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:** [October 14, 2016, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-mcmullin-to-launch-independent-presidential-bid/762134/67 "2016-10-14T12:09:47Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > But I don’t think there’s any rule that tells them when to submit a vote. The Constitution says “the House of Representatives shall choose immediately, by ballot, the President” but then it goes on to talk about what happens if they don’t or can’t, so it’s obviously not a firm requirement. ---
**Author:** ![Enlightening\_Meditation](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecc23a/32.png) [@Enlightening\_Meditation](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enlightening_Meditation)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2016, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-mcmullin-to-launch-independent-presidential-bid/762134/68 "2016-10-14T13:09:11Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > Won’t happen. The republicans overwhelmingly control the House of Representatives until January. Trump is the single most powerful republican figure in the party right now and he’s a potent force. Nobody’s going to stand up to him until it’s safe to do so. And if Trump gets an electoral vote count in the 260s, it would be because of overwhelming GOP voter support. Thus, it wouldn’t be very safe to stand up to Trump under those circumstances. As the GOP civil war rages further and Clinton suffers from further email releases via Wikileaks, I could image a scenario where a near boilerplate conservative like McMullin would be selected as a compromise. This is very unlikely, but possible. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2016, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-mcmullin-to-launch-independent-presidential-bid/762134/69 "2016-10-14T13:13:05Z")
> [@Enlightening\_Meditation](#): > > As the GOP civil war rages further and Clinton suffers from further email releases via Wikileaks, I could image a scenario where a near boilerplate conservative like McMullin would be selected as a compromise. This is very unlikely, but possible. Trump would have stronger support. The \*House, which gets elected every two years, would have to answer to voters. Republicans would have to go home and answer to a fringe of loons. If they can’t even walk away from a candidate who has all but confirmed on tape that he has committed multiple acts of sexual violence, what makes anyone think they’ll walk away from Trump if he’s a house vote from the presidency? There is no #neverTrump movement, except in Mormon Utah. Everywhere else, it’s completely dead. It’s Trump or bust. ---
**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:** [October 14, 2016, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-mcmullin-to-launch-independent-presidential-bid/762134/70 "2016-10-14T13:56:34Z")
Asahi ignores the obvious: that Trump’s run as the GOP nominee officially ends 11.8.2016. Expect hounds of hell to be unleashed 11.9.2016 as Trump loses his position and his voice. Anyway, this election has a lower chance of going to the house than 2012. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2016, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-mcmullin-to-launch-independent-presidential-bid/762134/71 "2016-10-14T19:49:51Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Asahi ignores the obvious: that Trump’s run as the GOP nominee officially ends 11.8.2016. Expect hounds of hell to be unleashed 11.9.2016 as Trump loses his position and his voice. > > Anyway, this election has a lower chance of going to the house than 2012. With almost each passing hour I’m more and more convinced you’re right. I certainly wouldn’t lay any money on the table betting on a Trump win. I was just saying that assuming this went to a tie, the dynamics at play in that scenario would favor Trump. In any case, though, I get the feeling that Trump is in a nosedive. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2016, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-mcmullin-to-launch-independent-presidential-bid/762134/72 "2016-10-14T20:03:55Z")
> [@Lord\_Feldon](#): > > The Constitution says “the House of Representatives shall choose immediately, by ballot, the President” but then it goes on to talk about what happens if they don’t or can’t, so it’s obviously not a firm requirement. But if they haven’t chosen by the 4th of March, the 12th Amendment says that the winner of the Vice President vote in the Senate (in which there are only two candidates, not three like for President), becomes President. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2016, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-mcmullin-to-launch-independent-presidential-bid/762134/73 "2016-10-15T02:27:24Z")
Then it’s Pence or Kaine. that would be nice. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-mcmullin-to-launch-independent-presidential-bid/762134.md?page=3)