Evan McMullin, an independent building a coalition across party lines, and Mike Lee, who marched into Congress with the right-wing Tea Party in 2010, are courting Utahns’ votes in this consequential midterm election.
Some complain that McMullin’s views have changed and that Lee has been unwavering. We contend that both men’s positions have evolved, McMullin for the better and Lee for the worse.
In a 2016 rant, Lee told Trump to quit the presidential race. He said Trump “accused my best friend’s father of conspiring to kill JFK,” “made statements that some have identified correctly as religiously intolerant,” and claimed that Trump’s crass treatment of women was “a distraction” from his party’s principles. He courageously stood against his colleagues, demanding that they block Trump’s nomination.
Unfortunately, Lee’s courage didn’t last.
Once Trump was elected, he saw an opportunity to kiss up to the de facto leader of the party. This culminated when Lee became Trump’s willing foot soldier in the failed attempt to overturn the voters’ will. He denied that he had secretly pushed for illegal alternate slates of electors, and insisted that Sidney Powell, a conspiracy theorist lawyer, be allowed to see the President.
Lee supported term limitations. That is, until he announced his run for a third term, conveniently forgetting his promise to sponsor term-limiting legislation.
He believed in standing up to foreign dictators. That is, until he refused to censure Russia’s blatant interference in the 2016 election.
He claimed to honor and support veterans. That is, until he was one of only 11 senators voting against providing health care to 3.5 million veterans exposed to lethal burn pits.
Lee claims he had the strength to defend his convictions. That is, until he twice pleaded with Mark Meadows, “Tell me what I should be saying.”
On the other hand, McMullin has always been willing to stand for his beliefs, no matter the personal cost. As a CIA officer, he risked his life for our country.
Like many conservatives in 2016, he worried about Trump’s rise and hoped one of them would run against Trump’s racist, misogynistic behavior. When no one else stepped up, Evan decided it was his responsibility to run. Here was a candidate willing to put country first, no matter the outcome.
During Evan’s career, he stood up to extremism abroad which increased his reverence for America’s democracy. In addition, his work on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and opposition to Assad in Syria and other brutal dictators will define his votes on foreign policy. His experience with terrorism brings a unique perspective to the Senate.
A vote for Evan is a vote to bring honest and ethical leadership back to Washington. He truly believes that we can come together to find common sense bipartisan solutions to problems.
Some voters feel his position on abortion has changed too much. In 2016, McMullin defended overturning Roe v. Wade and restoring a state’s right to regulate abortion. But he would support a federal action preventing extreme laws that force victims of rape (even a 10-year-old) to carry a pregnancy full-term, prevent a woman from crossing state lines or risk her life.
McMullin argues that making contraception more available and offering more support for families “truly protects life” and would decrease America’s abortion rate.
Voters may say, “Wow, he’s flip-flopped on this issue.”
But, as Adam Grant argues in his book “Think Again,” we must constantly re-evaluate our beliefs and values. Evan had the courage to re-evaluate his.
While both candidates’ positions have evolved, Lee reversed his fervent opposition to Trump, infamously comparing him to Captain Moroni. McMullin asks us to see with more compassion the complex personal issues involved in a woman’s choice.
Evan McMullin’s central message is that we must protect our imperiled democracy from extremists like Mike Lee, who pretends to be a constitutional conservative, but whose actions betray his declared beliefs.
Evan’s 2016 running mate, Mindy Finn, delivered a message that still resonates: “People are more distrustful and dissatisfied with politics than ever before. They no longer feel their voices are being heard.”
To undecided voters, let us repeat a phrase McMullin quoted during his 2016 bid, “It’s never too late to do the right thing.”
Paul Florence
Ann Florence
Paul Thayer Florence, a graduate of Judge Memorial High School and freshman political science major at Whitman College, and his grandmother, Ann Florence of Salt Lake City, both a former teacher and former Republican, attend protest rallies together and collaborated on this commentary.
