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McMuffin loss in Utah raises independent candidacy questions
[APNEWS] Utah Democrats’ decision to back an independent rather than nominate a member of their own party to take on Republican Mike Lee transformed the state’s U.S. Senate race from foregone conclusion to closely watched slugfest.

Independent Evan McMullin,
... CIA 10-year man, professional NeverTrump “Republican” who’s earnt his daily caviar and champagne as a policy wonk for “Conservative” orgs funded by sympathetic far left billionaires like George Soros and eBay founder Pierre Omidyar when he isn’t sucking up NeverTrump and Democrat dollars running failed political campaigns for various offices as the Deep State candidate...
an anti-Trump former Republican best known for his longshot 2016 presidential bid, attracted millions in outside spending in his campaign against Lee. He forced the second-term Republican to engage with voters more than in prior elections and emphasize an independent streak and willingness to buck leaders of his own party.

Ultimately, though, it wasn’t even close. Lee is on his way to a double-digit win.

That’s spurring a debate: Did Democrats’ strategy create a blueprint to make Republicans campaign hard, compete for moderates and expend resources in future races? Or does the sizeable loss prove that Republicans’ vice grip is impenetrable in the short term, no matter the strategy?

The answers could contain lessons for both red and blue states unaccustomed to competitive elections.

Some Democrats say supporting McMullin was worth it — it shifted the political conversation, made the race competitive and forced Lee to spend almost double what he spent in his 2016 campaign. But other Democrats say the strategy hurt down-ballot candidates who didn’t have a strong top-of-the-ticket contender to help boost them.
Posted by: Fred 2022-11-13
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=649305