We're Saved! - Kristol Eyes Conservative Lawyer David French for Independent Presidential Run

Who?

If you're like me, that was your first thought. Then you are not alone. I was right there with you.

But this was from Halperin and Hellemann via Bloomberg. These guys are supposed to be credible veteran reporters.

I can't imagine how this French guy who writes for National Review is supposed to mount a real challenge and get his name on the ballot at this hour with no name recognition.

Two Republicans intimately familiar with Bill Kristol’s efforts to recruit an independent presidential candidate to challenge Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton have told Bloomberg Politics that the person Kristol has in mind is David French -- whose name the editor of the Weekly Standard floated in the current issue of the magazine.
French is a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom. According to the website of National Review, where French is a staff writer, he is a constitutional lawyer, a recipient of the Bronze Star, and an author of several books who lives in Columbia, Tenn., with his wife Nancy and three children.
Reached in Israel late Tuesday afternoon, Kristol declined to comment on his efforts to induce French to run. The two Republicans confirmed that French is open to launching a bid, but that he has not made a final decision. One of the Republicans added that French has not lined up a vice-presidential running mate or significant financial support. However, according to this person, some conservative donors look favorably on the prospect of French entering the fray.

Kristol thinks this is "impressive" if this is indeed who he has in mind.

Ever since Kristol tweeted on Sunday that an “impressive” independent candidate “with a strong team and a real chance” is now prepared to enter the presidential fray, the political world has been engaged in a fevered guessing game over whom that person might be.

As American Thinker points out, outside of Kristol's little world no one knows who this guy is. It is going to take a significant effort in terms of investment of money to mount just the signature effort to get him on the ballot in time.

Don’t get me wrong. French is an impressive guy, a military veteran, respected lawyer, and among my top 4 or 5 favorite writers for National Review. But, ahem, the hour is late and he is unknown outside of the small subculture of conservative political junkies with large vocabularies. Unless Peter Singer or some other conservative billionaire is willing to pony up big bucks for crash signature-gathering efforts in the 49 states (minus Texas!) where ballot access is still possible, he just won’t get on the ballot in enough places to be taken seriously.

I tend to agree with some of the commentors there. Sure Glenn Beck is imploding over Donald Trump, but Kristol seems to be going insane just as surely if a bit more quietly.

Maybe it's just a bluff to get some concessions from Trump? Of course, that really only works if the guy is a possible contender and with no name recognition...

I thought Bill Kristol was a smart guy?

What is that idiot smoking ?

I had to google the guy.

He's going to beat Trump or our first inmate President ?

For that matter, most Americans would have to Google Kristol.

Bill seems kind of butt hurt...

never considered bill kristol a conservative, does he actually think he is?
His party would be called the war party, or corporate party.
He represents everything wrong with the republican elite.

Bill Kristol is a neo-con. Not the same as a conservative.

My thought when I heard this name was who? Followed closely by puppet, with Kristol as the puppeteer, or so he hopes.

I think Kristol should keep doing what he's doing, that way when he's done there will be one less neocon that has a platform.

As for French, I really don't know much about him. The US needs another Ivy League educated President ( or SCOTUS justice for that matter) like it needs unlimited immigration, more debt, or a new war. I did a quick lookup on French, nothing wrong with how and in what capacity he served our country, but i'd love to know how someone whose combat duty in Iraq was as a JAG officer earns a Bronze Star.

a reply to: jefwane

No way of knowing how. JAG officers aren't always behind the lines. They have to investigate things in the front areas...so it's not beyond the realm of possibility that something happened that earned him that.

I'm sure the story is on line somewhere.

a reply to: seagull

Agreed, I truly would like to see the citation. Please do not think I'm disparaging any service, an army needs cooks, mechanics, and yes even lawyers. However, given the US officer corps propensity for medal inflation, my default emotion is skepticism when i hear about a non Combat Arms, non direct combat support officer (like medical,transportation or maintenance) getting a Bronze or Silver star.

originally posted by: kosmicjack
Maybe it's just a bluff to get some concessions from Trump? Of course, that really only works if the guy is a possible contender and with no name recognition...

I thought Bill Kristol was a smart guy?

He gives Billy Kristol a bad name.

I never liked Bill. I always thought he was a smug douche.

Haha! What a disappointment.

a reply to: burgerbuddy

He is a smug douche.(can't believe I actually used that word...)

I had the misfortune of attending a talk he gave, which was followed by a question and answer session, he's an arrogant, condescending prick frankly. No one knows as much as he does, no ones opinion is worthy of contemplation ahead of his. When speaking in public, especially on political matters, it should be used as an opportunity to teach and to learn, not preach the gospel to the heathens. Which is exactly what he does.

I was among a number of folks who walked out.

Trump already decimated 16 other republican candidates, and Kristol thinks some unknown wannabe is going to topple Trump? Not only is Kristol arrogant and smug, he is delusional.

A President French?

Not in this timeline.

A new candidate can not win at this point. But they could siphon votes away from Trump and position themselves to be a house hold name four years from now.

Long term thinking is almost always beneficial.