Inside The Mind And Mission Of Evan McMullin
There is no doubt that the process leading up to choosing our next President of The United States in 2016 has been unprecedented -- supercharged by emotion, speculation, accusation, opinion as well as a ton of worthless noise and a whole lotta worry. Somewhere in there, sits a bit of fact, but to get to it seems as nearly impossible as digging yourself up and out of your own grave.
Why do I feel as if I’m not alone in my observation or experience? There’s a lot of mud and dirt being flung all over the place, with very little benefit to be had by those whose lives truly 'do' hang in the balance. To add to the frenzy is the increasingly “blurred roles” of too many individuals and organizations directly involved in the process and its ultimate outcome.
To make such a critical decision as choosing our next Commander-in-chief under such challenging circumstances...all I can say is, “Not good.”
With this in mind, I decided to try to get some answers on my own from ‘late comer’ to the race,
Evan McMullin, whose determination to disrupt ‘status quo’ has resulted in a new name being added to the ballot for President (as the nominee of the Independence Paty) in certain states.
Keep in mind, I have not altered Evan McMullin’s answers in any way nor will I share my personal opinion with regards. I remain, merely, the messenger du jour, whose ‘belief in’ and ‘support of’ the rights and intelligence of the people of the United States remains at the forefront of this interview as well as my overall intention in sharing Evan McMullin’s answers with you.
What is your personal mantra?
“It’s never too late to do the right thing.”
Regarding ‘community’, share your plan to diffuse the anger running rampant across this nation - bringing calm and order back to society - given you become President of the United States.
This nation has been torn at the seams by an ugly streak of politics that is less than what we deserve as a country. I’m a conservative, but I’ve had people from across the political spectrum reach out to support our campaign, in part, because I’m willing to have a civil discussion. Even if Americans disagree on the issues, we owe it to one another to stop screaming and start talking.
Regarding ‘parenting’, eighty-three percent of “single parent” households today are run by moms (9.9 million moms to be exact, many of whom are financially strapped and barely “making it”). How will you help support these moms to thrive - as opposed to merely “surviving” - and inspire their children to do the same?
Single parents bear a heavy burden, personally and financially in this country. They’re often under stress at work and stress at home that most people will never understand. I think it’s important to encourage employers to work with single parents on flextime, family leave and to find other ways to help them balance work and family.
With that, there’s a more fundamental mission any President seeking to confront this problem must face -- “How do we improve economic prosperity and opportunity for every American?” The solution isn’t just a top-down government program from Washington but a real change in the way Americans treat one another.
Regarding ‘education’, we seem to be a nation who fails to breed a “love for learning” in our youth. Thus we exchange the "lifelong learner" for one who merely wants to achieve his or her "end-game." Our declining PISA scores as a nation reflect the harm this particular psychology can do. How do we change this faulty psychology for one that ensures a brighter future for our youth and the United States overall?
Americans have a century-old education system with too many mandates from Washington, too many bureaucrats outside the classroom and a Common Core education program that has parents, teachers and kids up-in-arms. We need to get the control of education out of Washington and give it back to the states, where teacher and parents can work together to do what’s right for our kids.
A lifetime of learning isn’t just desirable. In the years ahead, a competitive global economy will mean Americans won’t just attend grade school, high school and college. They’ll be retraining and learning new skills across their entire career. Today, we look at education as something with an ‘end point’. We ought to look at education as a journey, not a destination.
Regarding ‘politics’, our nation feels as if it is swirling out of control. Public turmoil and distrust in government, political leadership, and media, even, are at all-time high as is the lack of confidence in our nation’s future. And yet we, as citizens of the United States, will soon need to press a button to determine the course we take towards that future? Advise us how to effectively and successfully do so under current conditions and the duress we feel.
One of the main reasons I chose to enter this race was because I saw how the hateful rhetoric on the part of Donald Trump was dividing our nation and poisoning our politics. We’ve lost the sense that we can have real political disagreements without it turning into the kind of lowest-common denominator fight that does nothing but divide us.
As President, I won’t always agree with Democrats or Republicans...but I will work with anyone who brings good ideas and good faith to the table.
Regarding ‘government’, how might you suggest the citizens of the United States effectively re-adopt the role as “the people the government serves” as opposed to what it seems to be now, i.e. “the government the people serve?
It starts with returning power closer to the people. The government in Washington is terrible at understanding the lives of everyday Americans...and the farther you get from the Beltway the worse it gets. I’ll reform government so it’s smaller, smarter, and more responsive to people. I want to make the rules apply equally, so people who happen to have lobbyists and insider friends don’t get special treatment.
This also means Americans have to get involved with their government at every level. We have lost some of that old sense of engagement and connection where elected leaders felt accountable to the people they serve.
Regarding ‘national security’ (both internally and externally), how do we get it back, in your opinion?
I’m the only candidate in this race with actual national security experience. I’ve seen the dangers of Al Qaeda and ISIS first hand.
Both major party candidates have talked some tough talk on national security issues, but they've got nothing to back-up their words. Clinton's troubled tenure as Secretary of State contributed to instability in some critical regions and Trump's belligerent rhetoric reveals a dangerously naive worldview.
Regarding ‘future’, many people believe our nation is in decline and that we are going the way of “Rome” so-to-speak. Do you believe this true as well? If so, what would your first action be to reverse this course as President of the United States?
The first part of reversing what some people think is a decline is to run the kind of campaign that brings people together. If all we do is fight and disagree, we will decline as a nation. But if we find common ground, work to build trust in our system again and work hard to include voices from the right, left and center in the debate, there’s nothing we can’t accomplish.
When ‘all’ is said and done, how would you like to be remembered?
I want to be remembered as an American who loved and served his country and who stood up for what’s right. That’s the most honorable legacy anyone in this great country could wish for.
As a nation made up of many, might each of us consider the “collective” legacy we want to leave behind throughout this election process as well as at the moment-of-truth all of us will soon be facing. No matter which Presidential candidate you, ultimately, choose, I urge you to rise above the petty, educate yourselves, and focus on the facts before casting your vote. Who we end up with will be reflective of how well WE do this, I assure you.
We have a big job ahead of us, folks, and November 8, 2016, is just the beginning.
Many thanks to Evan McMullin and the McMullin Campaign Team for making this interview possible