Nebraska Senator Ben Sasse has disavowed the idea that he’d run an independent presidential candidacy, but a new PAC wants to persuade him to do it — for America.
“Due to Donald Trump effectively winning the Republican nomination and the exit of Ted Cruz, they [are] calling on all Americans to chart a new path in national politics,” Draft Sasse PAC announced on Monday.
Sasse was the first high-profile Republican to publicly declare that he “cannot support Donald Trump” in February. The senator rejected Trump based on his lack of conservative credentials, disregard for constitutional principles, and his campaign style that’s attracted the support of white nationalists.
In early May, Sasse called for an “adult” conservative candidate to run an independent campaign and serve one term to focus on the most important national problems.
“There are dumpster fires in my town more popular than these two ‘leaders,’” Sasse said when criticizing Trump and Hillary Clinton. He has disavowed plans to run as an independent, however.
To win the presidency, Sasse would need to pull away a significant bloc of Trump voters, or dip into Democratic voters alienated by Hillary Clinton. Either option could be difficult without the support of a major party.
“Senator Sasse, like us are not fooled. We refuse to place the fate of our country into the hands of those with the shady moral character and dubious constitutional understanding of Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton,” Daniel Ledoux, PAC co-chair, said.
The path to the White House for a Sasse candidacy, however, would be difficult. He’d lose the institutional — and financial — support of the Republican Party. If he fails, he might lose his Senate seat.
Perhaps most challenging, his voter base would be scattered and fractious. Sasse would need libertarians, disaffected conservatives, Blue Dog Democrats, independents, and others to cobble together support. He wouldn’t only run against Donald Trump — he’d run against Hillary Clinton. American politics is unfriendly ground for a 3rd party or independent candidate.
Despite the difficulty, Draft Sasse PAC is undaunted.
“There’s 40 percent of the Republican Party that will never vote for Trump,” Ledoux said. “We also believe that there’s disenfranchisement on the Democrat side.”
If Sasse can be the lightning rod that acts as opposition to two of the most disliked candidates in election history, Ledoux believes an independent campaign could be viable.
“We see a lot of opportunity here to capture a middle ground,” he said. “There are a lot of people out there that want to see another option.”
Sasse faces the struggles of any Republican who would dare to stay consistent to a #NeverTrump vow. Trump’s populist and nationalist brand of conservatism triumphed over more than a dozen candidates who represented constitutional, national security, and social conservatism. In Ledoux’s understanding, Trump topped the Republican field because the field was so wide that voters couldn’t coalesce behind an anti-Trump conservative.
To defeat Trump and Clinton, voters could see the rise of a fusionist Gary Johnson-Ben Sasse Libertarian Party campaign. “I’m sure that’s an option,” Ledoux said. “It might be easier to partner with them to get this done … I’m not ruling that out at all.”
Conservatism has found the most success in the Republican Party; in this election, Reagan’s legacy lost to the populists already. Another attempt might be irrelevant. “The chance for the party to rally around stopping Trump … is now past,” Jacob Weisberg noted.
Until November, though, the possibly Sisyphean task will be attempted.
“Ben Sasse is a great candidate because, not only does he understand constitutional principles, but he’s a reluctant candidate … people who are reluctant candidates are the best candidates because they’re in it for the right reasons,” Ledoux said.
