The 2016 U.S. Presidential Race Cheat Sheet

The 2016 U.S. Presidential Race Cheat Sheet

The 2016 U.S. Presidential Race Cheat Sheet: Little-known Evan McMullin finally takes up the mantle of anti-Trump conservative, three months before the election.

There are three months until Election Day, and anti-Trump Republicans finally have their man—even if they’ve never heard of him.

On August 8, Evan McMullin announced he is running as an independent for president. If you’re not familiar, don’t feel bad: McMullin is an almost entirely unknown quantity. A Mormon from Utah, he went to Brigham Young University and later got an MBA from the Wharton School of Business—an alma he shares with Donald Trump. He joined the CIA and after serving a stint in intelligence went to work for Goldman Sachs. More recently, he served as chief policy director of the House Republican Conference. McMullin, 40, may not be well known, but it’s hard to imagine a more establishment resume.

He says he’s running out of disgust with the two major-party candidates, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. “Like millions of Americans, I had hoped this year would bring us better nominees who, despite party differences, could offer compelling visions of a better future,” he writes in an announcement letter. “Instead, we have been left with two candidates who are fundamentally unfit for the profound responsibilities they seek.”

McMullin will have the backing of some anti-Trump Republicans, including the wily veteran strategist Rick Wilson. But he doesn’t have a prayer. Even if McMullin succeeds in getting on the ballot in a large number of states, his public profile is nil, and he’s unlikely to have the time or money to do much to change that. Some reporters and pundits guffawed at the prospect of National Review writer David French, a previous anti-Trump hope, running for president, but next to McMullin, French looks like … um, who’s a widely known celebrity running for president?

There’s a bitter irony to McMullin as the last hope. Anti-Trump Republicans have rejected Trump for many reasons—including his policy views, his temperament, and his personal life—but many have cited his lack of qualifications. In McMullin and before that French, however, the anti-Trumpers have set their sights on two men who, whatever their moral or intellectual qualifications, have never run for office or won a single vote from Americans. (Trump is fond of pointing out that he won more votes than any Republican candidate ever.)

McMullin’s late entry might represent conservatives backing away from Gary Johnson, the Libertarian nominee. He’s tried to court Republicans who can’t stand to vote for Trump, even bringing on former Massachusetts GOP Governor Bill Weld as a running mate, to the consternation of some Libertarians. But Johnson’s freewheeling style and peculiar comments about religious freedom seem to have dampened any movement toward him on the right.

This cheat sheet has nearly reached the end of its useful life, but we’ll keep updating it with the last few touches. Meanwhile, check out our guides to the Trump veepstakes and the Republicans and conservatives who are—or are not—backing him. Here’s how things look right now.

Source : http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/08/2016-election/384828/

The 2016 U.S. Presidential Race Cheat Sheet