So, does this guy get anyone’s vote?

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I know I am likely going pure protest vote, since I can’t bring myself to vote the somewhat lesser of two pretty evil evils when it’s basically Voldemort vs. Dolores Umbridge (this analogy doesn’t quite map that well onto Trump vs. Clinton, but it’s “close enough for government work”).

I’ve been hearing a lot about this Evan McMullin guy,  who was apparently a real life Jason Bourne (without the memory loss) before becoming a GOP policy director.  Even for a 3rd party guy, this seems like the longest of long shots.

Any thoughts?

29 thoughts on “So, does this guy get anyone’s vote?”

  1. It is the longest of long shots (he likely will be very lucky to make it on to even ten states’ ballots). But it certainly shows just how significant of an aversion the normally staid GOP has to Trump (and of course to Clinton).

  2. I would use Senator Palatine and Count Dookoo as the comparison.

    For McMullin, I think this just happens to be a good time to get name recognition and free publicity for a future run in his home state.

    Only good shot for a third party is Gary Johnson on the Libertarian ticket. He has some issues, but seems sane compared to the jackass and big elephant in the room…

  3. I dispute the notion that Gary Johnson has a “good shot”. He’s running a lousy campaign and is the worst Libertarian Party candidate in decades. He has zero chance of actually carrying a state.

    Neither does McMullin.

    At best, they serve as good protest candidates to people who have decided that they can’t hold their nose and vote the major party candidates.

    I’m not voting for president this year, but I’ll vote for my state options. We’ve really got to stop believing that politics is the solution to our problems or our salvation. It is actually a prime instigator of the problems we face in the United States.

    Oh, and by the way? America gets the leaders it deserves. Just let that sink in.

  4. Since I find the Republican, Democratic, and Libertarian candidates repugnant, and the Conservative Party a little too fringe, I’ll probably vote for this guy if he’s on my state’s ballot.

    But since he probably won’t be, it’s looking like I’ll be leaving that part of the ballot blank.

  5. He seems good enough, however, no one knows him outside of the conservative echo chamber that is social media. So it’s nice work if you can get it … but he’s not getting it.

    That said, it’s too little too late. Where were all of these protesters and people 3-6-9-12 months ago. Of course no one took the Trumpster seriously, so here we are, reaping what we’ve sown over many years — the anger, frustration, disenfranchisement.

    I love my country, but I don’t feel like we’ve hit rock bottom yet — we’re not all starving en masse, yet. So, it’s not going to make a difference who gets elected — Trump = dumpster fire, Clinton = river of hot vomit = both equally tragic — we still need to hit rock bottom and then admit we have a problem.

    I also think it would be great if conservatives/constitutionalists would finally quit the GOP and form their own party.

    Like Michael, I’m leaving the POTUS spot blank this year, but voting for down ballot candidates. I actually know the people on my city council and my state rep and Congressman. So there is that. I would encourage everyone who can’t check the POTUS box, to still go vote. Your local candidates will need your help and support.

  6. I think priority one this year, is winning the civil war between bona fide conservatives versus populists/rednecks/goons that is now roiling the Republican party. To that end, I will be voting for whichever candidate in my state has the best chance of beating Trump based on polling data as of election day.

    Here in Utah, I’d like that to be McMullin. I’ll probably even donate to his campaign. But I have a sneaking suspicion I’ll be pulling the lever for Hillary this year.

  7. I’m glad you asked because I’ve been thinking about this for the last few days. I’ve never though Hillary and democratic policies would be a good choice. And I can’t believe that Trump has a single vote, let alone has actually become the nominee. I could spend another thousand words describing how he makes my skin crawl and how I’m ashamed of the Republican party over his candidacy. I won’t because I’ve already said it since day one. I was a breath away from quitting the party, but I realized its my party too. So I’m sticking around because somebody has to rebuild a principled conservative movement.

    That left me in the position of many. But I just can’t vote for Gary Johnson either. I’ve been dealing with annoying, trollish libertarians for pretty close to ten years (since Ron Pauls campaigns where he tried his hardest to seem like that drunk crazy uncle I never want to talk to but I’m stuck sitting next to every thanksgiving). And I’ve found their ignorance is only matched by the arrogance and pugnaciousness with which they state their opinions. Needless to say, I’m already not very inclined to vote for Johnson to begin with, and every interview I’ve seen he doesn’t give answers that are very coherent let alone resonate with me.

    That’s my long way of saying I’m really wondering what I’m going to do. For a long time I thought I would just leave it blank and vote on the rest of the ticket, or write in Mitt Romney. And here comes McMullin. I like his resume and the policy positions he advances. Of course since I’ve interviewed with the CIA and I now work with a major think tank on foreign policy, I’m somewhat partial to a national security hawk. Its been very sad to realize that this strange feeling I have listening to McMullin actually comes from having a choice I can at least somewhat believe in.

    I’m not completely sold yet. He might bomb in some future interviews and turn out to be kind of a joke, but he can’t give as bad of answers as Trump. I mean from mocking McCain’s captivity and Megan Kelley’s menstrual cycle all the way to suggesting second amendment supporters would “take care of” Hillary, I can’t see McMullin saying anything that would make a vote for him any worse than a vote for Trump. But the whole reason I’m not voting for Trump is because I need to say with a clear conscience that I’m still a solid, principled conservative, and I don’t vote for any clown just because he’s got an R next to his name. So we’ll see. If McMullin keeps it together and sounds credible he’s got my vote.

  8. McMullin’s primary support comes for neo conservatives intent on keeping the U.S. in perpetual war against phantom enemies. I definitely won’t vote for more of that, although to be fair I couldn’t find much evidence of what he actually believes. My instincts tell me he believes in endless wars that have nothing to do with U.S. national interests, however.

    Still no candidates to support for president. Rand Paul looks pretty good right now, doesn’t he? 🙂

  10. Just a note – some comments get caught in moderation for whatever reason. Since I don’t check the threads all the time, sometimes it takes me a few hours or even days to check to see if anyone is in moderation or spam.

    There’s no need to then post nasty comments about the permabloggers at M* just because your comment doesn’t go up immediately. All you wind up doing is solidifying the reasons your comments go into moderation in the first place.

  11. Just for the record, I did not see Morgan D’s comment until after I posted my comments, so my comments are not a response to him in any way. Carry on, Morgan D.

    Matthew 5:44.

  12. If I lived in a state where Trump had a chance of winning, I would vote for Clinton, but I live in a state where Clinton has no chance of losing, so I will vote for some third-party or independent candidate so as to put another tally mark with those disgusted by what the Republican and Democratic parties chose. Maybe I’ll write in this McMullin guy’s name. I would never vote for Gary Johnson because of his marital flakiness. He abandoned his wife of 18 years, against her wishes, giving the explanation that she was holding him back from climbing mountains and crashing hang gliders. A year after the divorce, she died. SInce then he has given the excuse for not marrying the women that he has shacked up with that he’s too busy for a wedding.

  14. The ingenuity some invest in rationalizing their choice for POTUS is astounding. Especially surprising to me are those who claim to be making some sort of statement or protest vote. I wonder, who’s going to hear? After all the fussing and campaign millions, the grandiose speeches and disingenuous pledges, what will be, will be. Whether I like it or not. I personally intend to indulge my own capricious whim in voting, just to please myself – not that it matters anyway. :->

  15. There is a true conservative on the republican ticket: Mike Pence.

    Vote Trump. Impeach him. Pence becomes president. Conservatives win.

  17. Bookslinger, you don’t think an impeached Trump wouldn’t hurt the GOP in elections for a generation? I think Trump’s effect would be far worse than Nixon’s (who was at least quite competent) And that’s ignoring the damage he does that justifies impeaching him.

  18. If this was a pure binary, I would probably choke down my bile and vote Trump. I am in the fortunate position of being in a very much non swing state this year. That means that I can in good conscience vote for the best candidate regardless of plausibility. McMullin has a chance to get my vote and I would consider Johnson, even though I think that Trump would be better than him. If the election looks close, I will trade my 3rd party vote with someone in a swing state who will vote Trump. My wife and daughter are probably game for that as well.
    Bookslinger is getting close to the reason that Trump is better than Clinton and probably Johnson: he will be constrained by conservatives around him and in Congress. He has never had large support from any major congressional faction and will therefore be forced to compromise with someone. Also, if he goes in for a major medical procedure, many may just vote to extend Pence’s power indefinitely. No one who wants to live out the week would consider raising that possibility for Hillary unless she is completely catatonic.

  19. Not really related to the OP, but I was reading a post about Eric Metaxas’ endorsement of Trump, and people getting mad at him saying he should know better since he wrote a book about Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who was killed for being a part of an insider conspiracy to assassinate Hitler. I checked out the book and it is amazing in it’s parallels, particularly with regard to Christianity. Bonhoeffer was a pastor who was prominent in defending true Christianity from those who would confuse it to align with the Nazis. Because of his connections, he knew more than most Germans about the details of Nazi brutality.

    It’s a really great book for thinking through how to be ready for the unthinkable realities of wicked political leaders. It’s true that America gets the leaders it deserves, but it does not follow that we have no hope of making a profound difference for the good in whatever sphere of influence we are granted.

    I agree with Metaxas’ assessment of the real threat facing our country.

  20. Over the last couple decades, the 50/50 Congress of a 50/50 nation has been less and less able to keep the president in check. Clinton, Bush, and Obama each pushed out the power of the presidency, unhindered by a weak Congress, and I don’t expect that trend to change with the next president. Neither candidate is characterized by restraint, and Congress won’t be any more functional than it has been. I’ve heard that it would be better to have Trump than Clinton because Congress won’t work with Trump at all, but that’s an argument for the past when presidents couldn’t simply step around Congress and Congress had enough of a backbone to stand up to the president if he tried to ignore it.

  21. Personal opinion: I think the last month or so have proven beyond a doubt that Congress would be willing to stand up to a tyrannical Trump but unwilling to stand up to a tyrannical Clinton. The media is 95 percent behind Clinton and on the Trump is a dictator bandwagon, so any Republicans who stand up to Trump would be considered national heroes. Meanwhile, Bernie’s endorsement of Hillary proves that Democrats have zero spine (I guess you can call it party unity if you want). This is, in my opinion, one of the many reasons a Clinton presidency is so much more dangerous than a Trump presidency. (No, I will not be voting for Trump).

  22. Geoff, I think the GOP reaction to Trump has been so lukewarm (Trump saying this is awful but I still support Trump) that I’m surprised you think they’d stand up to him if he wins. Start showing me these key figures actually withdrawing their endorsements and you might have something. But they haven’t. Further even back in the spring when they could have done something they wouldn’t. As bad as Trump is, the ridiculous reaction of all but a minority of the GOP shows just how weak they are.

  23. Clark, the GOP is weak, but that is not the point. Cruz and Kasich have refused to endorse Trump. Paul Ryan publicly hemmed and hawed and then gave him the most lukewarm endorsement possible. The Bushes and Romney have spoken out against Trump. Dozens of Republican senators and congresspeople have either refused to support Trump or have actively spoken out against him. There are literally thousands of Republican operatives who have written letters or articles against Trump. And in each case, the media has turned these people into heroes. Do you think this is magically going to end if Trump is elected president? Some people may get in line, but the vast majority of the nevertrumpers will not. (And for good reason, in my opinion — I am not a fan of being loyal to a potential tyrant). Trump will face a united Democrat party that despises him, a growing Libertarian movement that despises him, and a large portion, perhaps 20 percent or more, of the Republican party, that despises him. He will be held completely in check by these people. I think it is extremely likely that Trump would be impeached quickly, within the first year or two, because he is guaranteed to do and say incredibly stupid things while in office.

    None of these things will happen to Hillary no matter what she does. She could torture small children daily on the White House lawn, and the media would continue to see her as a hero. Nobody in the Democratic party is willing to stand up to her (because it is a party without any integrity). Any attempt at impeachment will be met with the inevitable claims that the people involved are misogynists.

    So, given the nightmare choice of Trump vs. Clinton, it makes perfect sense to see a Trump presidency as less dangerous *because other groups will hold him in check* (not because he would be a better president).

  24. “She could torture small children daily on the White House lawn, and the media would continue to see her as a hero.”

    Given her public statement last year that children have no rights until after they pass through the birth canal (and not a split second before), this is not a very far-fetched statement. In fact, the truthiness is overwhelmingly close to actual reality.

  25. Geoff –

    that link on McMullin’s apparent “lies”/”contradictory resume” is over the top and seems to be done somewhat in bad faith. Nearly every complaint has a very easy explanation of some sort, most of which have been answered in various interviews. For example, that link asks “McMullin says he graduated from BYU in 2001 but joined the CIA in 1999?”

    In this interview here: http://www.hughhewitt.com/talking-evan-mcmullin/ McMullin says “So I started working for the Central Intelligence Agency while I was at Brigham Young University. I would do a semester there and a semester back in Washington.”

    Nearly every other issue that article has with likely could have a simple explanation based on the fact a resume is not a detailed life explanation but a brief mention of high points relevant to whatever job you want.

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