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Gawker: Republican With Backing Enters Presidential Race to Challenge Trump

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Some excerpts.

Multiple outlets are reporting that former CIA agent and conservative strategist Evan McMullin is launching an independent presidential bid in the hopes of siphoning votes from the Trump campaign.

According to BuzzFeed’s McKay Coppins, McMullin’s bid is supported by “key players in the GOP’s anti-Trump movement,” and appears designed to split off votes in states like Idaho, Texas and Utah, where McMullin was born and went to college.

According to ABC, his bid was arranged by the anti-Trump group, Better for America, which spent months searching for an appropriate candidate and is prepared to back him financially.

McMullin is not the first unknown conservative to have his name floated as a potential challenger to Trump—we have Bill Kristol to blame for that—but according to BuzzFeed, McMullin will file his papers today around noon. BuzzFeed also reports McMullin will have “the backing of serious Republican donors and fundraisers” to help him mount a challenge to Trump in several key states.

McMullin, the 40-year-old chief policy director of the House Republican conference, has never held political office. A graduate of Brigham Young University and the Wharton School of Business, McMullin’s brief bio also includes a Mormon mission and stints in the CIA and Goldman Sachs.

More here.

edit:

 
How does this help them? All this does is help Hilary? *confused*

I think that's the point. Help Hillary without actually giving her votes. Then, Trump doesn't destroy constitutional democracy and the Republicans can nominate someone closer to normal next time. It also gives conservatives a reason to show up to the polls to vote down ballot.
 

kadotsu

Banned
At this point it's just damage control for 2020. The republican establishment will have something to point to that says: "See we were never the party of Trump, look at this ashcan candidate!"
 

Viewt

Member
JoGYXKny.jpeg

This guy?

I'm kind of curious, though - how much of Trump's voter base will actually jump to this guy? Are there that many people who are voting for him just because there's no other conservative choice? All of the sane Republicans I know are either voting for Hillary or not voting at all.
 
How does this help them? All this does is help Hilary? *confused*

it helps them because trump getting the white house potentially destroys the GOP.

eventually the battle is lost and you just need to get out of there and stop the bleeding to survive for the next one.

at least thats what im thinking the idea behind this is?

Also, keep in mind the GOP isnt making all these moves as a collective happy family. There are many many different agendas in that party right now
 
So they know Hillary got the win on lock and the best they can hope for is to try and save some face and distance themselves the best they can from Trump? Good luck with that, the damage is already done.
 
As a foreigner, the self-destruction of the american republican party is a beautiful thing to witness. If only the european far-right could self-destroy in such a glorious way.
 
Yeah. Instead of staying home in disgust they will go to the polls and vote R all the way down.

Eh.... this is assuming he can even get on ballots. Apparently some big state deadlines have already passed. And I guess there is write in, but realistically you're talking probably a percentage point or two if anything.

I doubt enough people show up to affect downticket races. Will enough people show up to vote like this knowing the presidency is out?
 
How does this help them? All this does is help Hilary? *confused*

There are Republicans who are more interested in the country than in their party, who feel that a Trump presidency would be disastrous for both country and party. There are millions of them.

That said, a viable Republican backed candidate would be very beneficial for the Republican party as long time Republicans could back this candidate and still be considered mainstream Republicans in future elections. By backing someone like Gary Johnson or Hillary Clinton, many Republican mainstreamers would be hamstringing their opportunities within the party in future elections.

But more to the point, millions of Republicans hate Donald Trump and are desperate for an alternative that comes from Republican circles.
 

Guevara

Member
Seems like this would really help down-ticket republicans.

  • Many voters aren't exited about voting for Trump
  • Now they'd have an option
  • Trump would be guaranteed to lose, but...
  • GOP turnout would noticeably higher
  • GOP keeps the house, senate, local/state seats but lose the White House (a good trade, since they were likely to lose it anyway!)
 
Lol, sure, go for it. Let's cut the GOP vote among Trump, Johnson, and Unidentified Man. More states for Hillary.

Although, might help Republicans down ticket. Hmmmm.
 

Fat4all

Banned
If we see him start polling nationally higher than Libs or Greens as we get closer to November, a landslide victory for Hillary is almost a given.
 

Monocle

Member
Every time you think this race has delivered the toppest lel, Trump or the GOP surprises you with something even more outlandish.

Sabotaging their own nominee, my goodness.
 

Redd

Member
Wow. If this is really happening the Republicans just moved up some in my respeck column. Do it GOP.
 
As a foreigner, the self-destruction of the american republican party is a beautiful thing to witness. If only the european far-right could self-destroy in such a glorious way.

I dunno about that. Have a feeling Repub party will be as strong as ever when the legislature is voted in
 

Boke1879

Member
If he does run this is really the start of a civil war for the GOP. Clearly this move is to help siphon votes from Trump and not discourage conservatives from going out in November to vote down ticket.

Now it's about how much attention this guy is going to get. I'd love to see Trump attack his own party again because of this move lol.
 

benjipwns

Banned
This same group was pushing this two months ago:
Announcement: Better For America
By Team Only Marco on June 15, 2016
First off, thank you so much for your steadfast support as we continue our trek towards the Republican National Convention in July. We now have teams in over 46 of the 50 states across the country and are working directly with delegates headed to the Convention in hopes of securing the nomination for Marco Rubio.

Our hope and goal is still the same: to secure the nomination for Marco Rubio at the Convention next month. And while we have every indication that our goal is very attainable, we also understand that we need to be prepared if our efforts are unsuccessful. Nobody was prepared for Trump to get this far, and as such, there was no contingency plan, bringing us to our current state of 2016 election affairs. With that being said, we are proud to announce our partnership with Better For America.

Better for America is an amazing organization with the mission to get a credible candidate for President on the ballot in all 50 states, presenting the nation with a third-party alternative to the otherwise historically bad choices we’ll be presented with this fall.

The OnlyMarco movement has been built on three main goals, with a contingency plan if we are unable to accomplish them. Those goals are:

#1 – Keep Trump (and Cruz) from securing the nomination.
#2 – Encourage Marco Rubio to reinstate his campaign before the convention.
#3 – Secure nomination through a contested or possibly brokered convention.

In contingency that #3 cannot be accomplished, we will help support a conservative candidate that can unify the GOP and the American people in a positive direction for a new American Century even if that nominee is not a current candidate.

These goals endure, and we are working hard towards accomplishing them. However, in the event that we are unable to stop Trump from securing the nomination, we want to be prepared to support a third-party conservative candidate who stands for what we believe and what our country needs.

We want to encourage you to continue to support #OnlyMarco, but to also open your heart up to join #BetterForAmerica as well.
And the candidate they "found" is a House staffer with 135 twitter followers, and holds one stated political position that Barack Obama created ISIS by pulling out of Iraq.

Totally a GOP Civil War.
 
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