Evan McMullin has a rare opportunity to reshape our political discourse and attract a governing majority, but not as a moderate conservative. Even in Utah, moderate conservatives are not a majority.
His opportunity lies in rejecting not just the Republican Party, but conservatism itself, and progressivism, and ideology altogether. He can carve out an uncrowded space as the candidate who embraces all true principles, not just the hobbyhorse favorites of an ideology.
He doesn’t have to accept the false dichotomy between “life” and “choice,” for example. He could champion bold policies that actually reduce the number of abortions and respect the rights of women. His policies could balance self-reliance with care for the poor and needy, to offer another example. Results, after all, are the measure of good policy, not ideological alignment.
Playing with a full keyboard of truth, He has a chance to break the gridlock, something the ideologues and the partisans can never do because they need the wedge issues and the anger to get elected.
Most of us are not hard-core partisans, and we’re weary of the rancor. Most of us just want laws that work. We, the disillusioned majority, are his natural base.
Jared Oates
Lindon