Posted on 06/01/2016 1:39:22 PM PDT by jazusamo
A group of prominent conservative activists, including the writer and radio host Erick Erickson, aren’t satisfied with Bill Kristol’s suggestion of David French as a third party candidate and are still looking for another alternative to Donald Trump.
The activists are working separately from Kristol, the editor of The Weekly Standard who favors French, according to two sources familiar with the discussions.
“We’re not going to be jumping on board with what Kristol is doing,” said a person involved in the discussions. “We learned about this from the media along with everyone else.”
Organizers of the self-described Conservative Against Trump group said Kristol’s decision to champion French, a conservative writer, constitutional lawyer and decorated Iraq war veteran, took them by surprise, especially because French has a relatively low public profile.
“This is like flipping open the phone book and picking someone on page 325,” the source said.
The group includes Erickson, South Dakota businessman Bob Fischer, Bill Wichterman, a former advisor to President George W. Bush and former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), conservative columnist Quin Hillyer, and conservative strategist Liz Mair.
The group was expected to issue a statement Wednesday or Thursday.
Erickson did not respond to a request to comment for this story. On his website, The Resurgent, he wrote Wednesday that he would vote for French but gave him low odds of even getting on the ballot in many states.
“But let’s be realistic about this. David French has, charitably, 0.1 percent name ID. He will have to raise at least $250 million, dedicating almost all of that to ballot access fights and potential legal challenges to extend deadlines,” Erickson wrote.
“I’d vote for David French,” he added. “Ultimately, however, I suspect the ballot access hurdle will be too much. I suspect it really be an insurmountable improbability.”
Conservative activist leaders held a conference call Wednesday to plan their next steps, on which Erickson did not participate although he was part of a conversation Tuesday evening.
Another conservative leader familiar with the recent discussions said, “We’re still continuing our recruitment effort.”
Only a few in the group have even met French, whom Kristol floated as a possible pick on Tuesday. It met with a decidedly mixed reaction.
“I just wanted to go pound my head against the wall,” said Judson Phillips, founder of Tea Party Nation, a conservative group with about 100,000 members. “I’m sorry, David’s a great guy but he’s not impressive as a presidential candidate. Where’s the team? I haven’t seen anything about a team.
“Bill Kristol jumped the shark on this one,” he added.
French or any other candidate entering the race at this late date would face significant hurdles to getting on the ballot.
Phillips estimates French would need two million signatures to get on the ballot in states where deadlines haven’t yet passed and at least $500 million “to even have a prayer of moving the needle” in the race.
He argued that conservative activists would be smarter to pressure the Republican Party to give the nomination to Texas Sen. Ted Cruz (R), who finished in second place behind Trump, at the convention in Cleveland.
Hillyer, a member of the Conservatives Against Trump movement, however, said it’s “too early” to make a definitive judgment on French.
“I am wholeheartedly supportive of David French as a candidate. I do not know him other than by reputation. He is bronze star winner and a brilliant constitutional lawyer,” he said in an interview. “Obviously, he does not have a big national name. He will have to make a good first impression and we’ll see if he does.”
French teased his potential candidacy on Twitter Wednesday.
“All the normal political rules apply. The conventional wisdom has been right. An underdog can't win. Right?” he wrote.
Other conservatives are skeptical.
Conservative strategist Brian Darling, a former advisor to Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.),
speculated that Kristol may be motivated to pull Republican votes away from Trump because he would prefer that likely Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton becomes president instead.
“I worry that Kristol’s strategy is to elect Hillary,” he said. “Hillary’s foreign policy is much closer to his foreign policy than Donald Trump’s foreign policy.”
Kristol, a leading neoconservative, did not respond to a request for comment left at his office.
Hillary will not go the distance. They will be voting for Joe The Plug and Pochontis.
So they are fighting for 0.1% of the vote vs 0.2% of the vote?
“Bill Kristol jumped the shark on this one.”
Trump is so objectionable, but we are supposed to believe every acquaintance of Bill Kristol would be just fine for president. I.... Don’t.... Think.... So.
>>I think you are correct. Just how can they possibly continue to call themselves conservatives?!
Because they’ve always called themselves conservatives. They were the self-styled voice of conservatism. Until about 4 years ago, their agenda was close enough to the mainstream conservative agenda that no one could see what they really were. One year ago, the difference became obvious to all but the most blind. Today, they have set themselves as our enemies.
LOL
As for the despicable motives of Bill Kristol?: Neocon Phenomenon.
The name alone. How could someone named “French” run for president of the US and hope to get anywhere? Especially against Trump.
Kristol, another loser waisting away in loserville. Go home, Bill. You're irrelevant.
Konservative Keystone Kops
Throw out your hands
Stick out your tush
Hands on your hips
Give ‘em a push
You’ll be surprised
You’re doing the French Mistake!
Voila!
One thing you can get from this list...
These were the insiders telling Jeb to run.
We knew it had to be morons and now we know their names.
LOL! Right on.
Yup :)
The group includes Erickson, South Dakota businessman Bob Fischer, Bill Wichterman, a former advisor to President George W. Bush and former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), conservative columnist Quin Hillyer, and conservative strategist Liz Mair.
Now that’s a group of heavyweights. Quin Hillyer ran for congressman in Alabama’s 1st district. He never got to the general election. He finished 4th in the republican primary.
He’s just made certain he will never receive my vote for anything. These clowns need to shut up or they’ll be shut out in the future.
Inigo Montoya: This is #NeverTrump’s true love! If you heal him, he will stop Trump!
Miracle Max: Wait, wait- I make him better, Trump suffers?
Inigo Montoya: Humiliations galore!
Miracle Max: That is a noble cause! Give me the sixty-five. I’m on the job!
I always heard Bill Kristol was Billy Crystal’s cousin..I have no idea if that is true!
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