An Open Apology to Evan McMullin

 

Dear Mr. McMullin,

I’m writing to tell you how much I regret my part in making you someone who sucks up to Shaun King.

When I voted for you, I was desperate. I didn’t trust Trump to be any good, and I didn’t think Hillary could be any worse.

I was on the rebound from losing the primary. My original choice had a heart-breaking finish, but I would have chosen even Jeb Bush over you. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you that.

I turned to you as a protest vote. I heard you in an interview, and you seemed clear-eyed and down-to-earth about your chances. My vote was meant to tell the rest of the country, “Go ahead. You pick,” and they did.

I didn’t know you thought Republicans were racist. My fault. I read a lot of news, but much of it happens outside my radar. But here you are in October, telling Byron York that there’s nothing wrong with the GOP except racism. If I had known you thought I and other Republicans were racist, I would have gone back to my earlier write-in pick, Ted Cruz, although I briefly thought about voting for The Dread Pirate Roberts, but I wasn’t quite ready to deal with the first Fictional-American president (is that racism?).

I apologize, Mr. McMullin, that I helped give you the idea that you are Somebody.

You apparently got fewer than 500,000 votes in the election. More than I got, but it does not make you a player on the national stage.

I know. It hurts to put yourself out there like that: the headlines, the interviews, the hoopla, the begging for donations, and the money! I’m sorry you thought we really, really liked you. In that interview I heard, you seemed to understand that your “path to victory” was probably, at best, a 250-to-1 shot (which by my not-so-stellar-math is what it turned out to be). You spent a lot of money. You made yourself a name.

And now — Surprise! Surprise! Surprise! — Donald Trump won. And made some surprisingly good nomination picks. And continued being Trump. And sent the Left into paroxysms of the Derangement Syndrome du Jour. He will make good moves and bad moves, like all presidents. History’s train is trundling down the tracks, and we’ll see where we go. But in case you haven’t noticed, you’re not driving.

In the future, when I ask where conservatism is going, I won’t look to you. I’m just not that into you. I’m sorry I led you on. I thought you understood that you were an emergency vote. A protest vote. Not a lasting political relationship.

Don’t go away mad. Let me give you a trophy.

And of bit of advice: It’s not too late to go into politics, if that’s your passion. But start over, with a school board or something. And don’t hang out with fakes like Shaun King. It makes you look like a loser.

Your former voter,

Jan Bear

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  1. Arahant Member
    Arahant
    @Arahant

    Now I’m hungry.

    • #1
  2. Simon Templar Member
    Simon Templar
    @

    Okay, I guess.

    • #2
  3. Mark Camp Member
    Mark Camp
    @MarkCamp

    Oh, My!  You had me in stitches from the start to the end!

    Now, that other Ricochet guy, with the political basketball game? He’s funny too.  But yours is my vote for Funniest Article of the year, and not just because it’s only 02-Jan.  Not you, Jan.  I mean that’s the date.

    Encore!

    • #3
  4. TKC1101 Member
    TKC1101
    @

    McMullen always struck me as one of those late night tv products… “not sold in stores”.

    very funny takedown of a sad event.

    • #4
  5. lowtech redneck Coolidge
    lowtech redneck
    @lowtech redneck

    Henceforth, there will be two “shortcut” variables I will use to determine whether any political commentator lacks sufficient credibility for me to listen to what they have to say:

    1.) If they are anti-Cruz.

    2.) If they are pro-McMullin.

    • #5
  6. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    Good post, Jan. Yes, I heard the “racist” comment about Republicans. I never seriously considered voting for him, but he has no chance with me in any future election for any future position. Bye-bye.

    • #6
  7. Wiley Inactive
    Wiley
    @Wiley

    Very nice way to address this issue that has been hanging out there. I especially like you, a former McMullen voter, moving him down from the big league (or is it bigly?) to a more appropriate level.

    Jan Bear: It’s not too late to go into politics, if that’s your passion. But start over, with a school board or something.

     

    • #7
  8. Rodin Member
    Rodin
    @Rodin

    Wow! Just, wow!

    • #8
  9. Z in MT Member
    Z in MT
    @ZinMT

    I feel much better about myself for having voted Sweet Meteor of Death (SMOD) than I would have voting for McMullin.

    • #9
  10. Arahant Member
    Arahant
    @Arahant

    Z in MT (View Comment):
    I feel much better about myself for having voted Sweet Meteor of Death (SMOD) than I would have voting for McMullin.

    Your vote may still count. SMoD may still be on the way.

    • #10
  11. Skyler Coolidge
    Skyler
    @Skyler

    But who is Shaun King?  Are we supposed to know?

    • #11
  12. Rodin Member
    Rodin
    @Rodin

    Skyler (View Comment):
    But who is Shaun King? Are we supposed to know?

    This and this?

    • #12
  13. Rodin Member
    Rodin
    @Rodin

    Z in MT (View Comment):
    I feel much better about myself for having voted Sweet Meteor of Death (SMOD) than I would have voting for McMullin.

    Only because SMOD didn’t win (yet).

    • #13
  14. Z in MT Member
    Z in MT
    @ZinMT

    Arahant (View Comment):

    Z in MT (View Comment):
    I feel much better about myself for having voted Sweet Meteor of Death (SMOD) than I would have voting for McMullin.

    Your vote may still count. SMoD may still be on the way.

    SMOD 2020!

    • #14
  15. DocJay Inactive
    DocJay
    @DocJay

    Great article.   It’s never too late reject the morally preening useless high ground that was being sold by McMuffin as a legitimate refuge.  Voting for Harambe the dead gorilla  or dread pirate Roberts is about equivalent as Evan.  You didn’t see that at the time Jan and that is very understandable given the pathology of the two candidates.

    The fact that McMuffin was a tool for evil progressives was obvious to me but I too thought he had some principles.   Turns out he’s just a tool in general and slowly returning to complete obscurity.  I hear his cry as he falls in to the pit of nothingness, ” racissssssssssssss”

    • #15
  16. DocJay Inactive
    DocJay
    @DocJay

    Skyler (View Comment):
    But who is Shaun King? Are we supposed to know?

    I have chunks of stuff in my New Year’s Eve vomit with more class, insight, and sophistication than King.  He’s an anti-white racist hating pig, no better than a KKK with a voice and thousands of ignorant college racist(anti-white)  students for an audience.

    • #16
  17. Robert McReynolds Member
    Robert McReynolds
    @

    So people are shocked that a nobody who served as a tool for the Nevers in DC is chummy with racist leftists? Only on Ricochet.

    • #17
  18. Tom Meyer, Ed. Member
    Tom Meyer, Ed.
    @tommeyer

    Having scrolled through McMullin’s twitter feed of the last few weeks to get some context… blegh. It’s all whining and scolding about Trump and — with this — making nice to a BLM activist.

    • #18
  19. TKC1101 Member
    TKC1101
    @

    I keep remembering all the “Conservatism will be destroyed”  statements.

    You conservative folk dodged a bullet here. Good thing the Anti-McMullin candidate got more electoral votes.

    • #19
  20. La Tapada Member
    La Tapada
    @LaTapada

    I too was impressed by McMullin’s initial interviews. I liked what he had to say. I might have voted for him, but he didn’t get on the ballot in NC, not even as a registered write-in. In the end I might have voted for Trump anyways, just because I was actually voting against Hillary, and a vote for McMullin might have seemed like a throw-away vote. Thanks for the laugh!

    • #20
  21. Hang On Member
    Hang On
    @HangOn

    Evan who?

    • #21
  22. PGrossjr Inactive
    PGrossjr
    @PGrossjr

    Yep, right there with you on this one.  Also a McMullen voter.

    • #22
  23. Z in MT Member
    Z in MT
    @ZinMT

    DocJay (View Comment):

    Skyler (View Comment):
    But who is Shaun King? Are we supposed to know?

    I have chunks of stuff in my New Year’s Eve vomit with more class, insight, and sophistication than King. He’s an anti-white racist hating pig, no better than a KKK with a voice and thousands of ignorant college racist(anti-white) students for an audience.

    This guy looks an awful lot like my cousin (even his childhood picture), except my cousin sports a large hipster beard and still has a full head of curly hair. (My cousin is 100% white).

     

    • #23
  24. Publius Inactive
    Publius
    @Publius

    President of the United States isn’t an entry-level political job.  I ruled out McMullin quickly just based on that point alone.  He certainly has an impressive resume and background, but it wasn’t a presidential resume.  He simply just wasn’t qualified for the job.

     

     

    • #24
  25. JustmeinAZ Member
    JustmeinAZ
    @JustmeinAZ

    Skyler (View Comment):
    But who is Shaun King? Are we supposed to know?

    Yeah, I was wondering that too but was too lazy to google. There are so many “celebrities” and “pundits” that I have never heard of I don’t have time to look them up. Comes from avoiding MSM news and talking head shows I guess.

    • #25
  26. Steve C. Member
    Steve C.
    @user_531302

    Jan Bear  I wasn’t quite ready to deal with the first Fictional-American president

    You missed the boat. We’ve been dealing with him since 2009.

    • #26
  27. KatRose Inactive
    KatRose
    @KatRose

    This post is being linked by Ace of Spades…nice!

    • #27
  28. Manny Coolidge
    Manny
    @Manny

    LOL, well I’m glad you saw the light.

    • #28
  29. In Search of Moderate Islam The Loch Ness Monster The Blue Yeti And Great Chinese Takeout Inactive
    In Search of Moderate Islam The Loch Ness Monster The Blue Yeti And Great Chinese Takeout
    @Pseudodionysius

    https://vimeo.com/8245463

    • #29
  30. Larry Koler Inactive
    Larry Koler
    @LarryKoler

    KatRose (View Comment):
    This post is being linked by Ace of Spades…nice!

    Great.

    Jan, wonderful post. Good writing style and fun. Thanks.

    P.S.: Maybe a few more of these type posts, please?

    • #30
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