Bill Kristol Teases an ‘Impressive’ Independent Candidate is Getting in the Race
Some of the most talked about possible third-party candidates include Mitt Romney and freshman Nebraska Senator Ben Sasse.
Bill Kristol has lit a political fire this Memorial Day weekend, hot enough to cook steaks. The conservative pundit and editor of The Weekly Standard sent out a tweet Sunday declaring that an “impressive” independent candidate is set to jump into the race.
Just a heads up over this holiday weekend: There will be an independent candidate–an impressive one, with a strong team and a real chance.
— Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) May 29, 2016
Presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump didn’t think much of Bill Kristol’s tweet, branding Kristol a “dummy” and a “loser” and urging the GOP to stand “smart & strong.”
Bill Kristol has been wrong for 2yrs-an embarrassed loser, but if the GOP can't control their own, then they are not a party. Be tough, R's!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 29, 2016
If dummy Bill Kristol actually does get a spoiler to run as an Independent, say good bye to the Supreme Court!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 29, 2016
The Republican Party has to be smart & strong if it wants to win in November. Can't allow lightweights to set up a spoiler Indie candidate!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 29, 2016
Kristol has been very open and determined in his effort to recruit a third-party or independent candidate to run against Trump and Hillary Clinton. He met with Mitt Romney in Washington and his courting of the former Massachusetts governor has included everything but flowers and chocolate.
Romney has said he’s not interested, that “it’s someone else’s turn.” But have his interests changed? Kristol told a Bloomberg podcast last week “The real last chance here is with Mitt Romney, who has said ‘no’ but who I think is thinking seriously about it. He’s a very serious person, he really knows that Trump should not be President of the United States. He strongly believes that Hillary Clinton should not be president of the United States.”
CBS News reported that other conservative names being considered by GOP #NeverTrump operatives for an independent run include former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, former Oklahoma Sen. Tom Coburn and retired Army Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal.
Columnist Dan Senor has argued that Kristol knows that Romney is not the guy to square off against Trump in this anti-establishment year, but is merely seeking Romney’s backing for another candidate, freshman Nebraska Senator Ben Sasse.
Hot Air‘s Allah Pundit weighed the Stasse possibility, writing that “Sasse said a few days ago that a third-party candidacy requires a candidate who’s not preoccupied with raising small children, as he is, but having the last GOP nominee leaning on him to do it as a matter of duty to conservatism and an act of patriotism for his country might soften him up.”
Kristol is certainly digging into the well of patriotism in his fight against Trump. His hint about an independent candidate was accompanied by tweet referencing the great American revolutionary Patrick Henry.
Those accused of betraying GOP by opposing Trump can take heart from P. Henry 251 years ago today:“If this be treason, make the most of it!”
— Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) May 29, 2016
