Polls have consistently shown Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton to be the least popular candidates in modern history. With such a large number of Americans expressing an utter lack of enthusiasm and disappointment in the top two choices on Tuesday, it’s left many wondering what to do.
Disgruntled voters may not be keenly aware that there are other options for them come November 8th. One of those choices is former CIA operative Evan McMullin and Mindy Finn, who are officially running for President on an independent ticket.
Faithwire’s Kirsten Haglund, who hosts “The Sonder Podcast“, recently caught up with Finn on the campaign trail to discuss the void being filled by their campaign, their goals, and why voting third party isn’t a wasted vote.
[LISTEN: The ‘Last Straw’ For Mindy Finn That Convinced Her to Run With Evan McMullin]
Finn realizes she and McMullin are facing an uphill, if not impossible battle. Finn admitted they are unlikely to win, or even come close.
So why run?
“I looked at these two major party options, both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, and didn’t see either as one that I could support proudly or even feel comfortable supporting. I think they are both unfit for office, they both take us in the wrong direction.”
Finn went on to explain that she’s heard from countless young people who have said they’ve waited their whole life to vote and are now left saying, “are these really my two options?”
“I’m such a believer in the power of our democracy and civic participation that I just felt we needed to give voters another option.”
She admits the strategy to block both candidates is a “long shot” but worth it nonetheless.
Finn said the myriad of scandals unfolding has given their campaign a lot of momentum.
“A lot of time in this election with the two candidates debating who is less corrupt. These scandals certainly do help us.”
Finn said she’s been approached by countless numbers of supporters who have said they were dreading holding their nose and pulling the lever for Trump or Hillary – some even said they felt queasy about it.
She explained one of the more common sentiments she receives from voters is one of gratitude for “giving us a ticket, as a choice, so we can vote and sleep at night.”
Finn doesn’t see much difference between the two candidates. She says, “Trump was a liberal most of his life,” with views that favor expansive government, while Hillary obviously champions similar big government type policies.
Finn joined the race very late in the game – in fact, she’d never really given the idea to run for office much consideration – until just this fall. She was so late to the game, in fact, that if you write in Evan McMullin for President – you have to write in Nathan Johnson as VP, not Mindy Finn. This is because at the paperwork deadline, McMullin didn’t even have a VP selected yet. So his friend, Nathan Johnson, offered to help satisfy legal requirements.
It’s confusing, yes. That’s why McMullin has provided all the details on how to vote for him on his website.
Finn, A GOP supporter for most of her life, is clearly at odds with Clinton on almost every issue – but she said the last straw for her was “a series of things” said by Trump that caused her to run.
She pointed to a string of controversial statements from the GOP nominee, including calling Mexicans racists and murderers, saying John McCain isn’t a war hero because he was captured, talking of banning entire religions, and perhaps most disturbingly – Trump’s list of admired foreign leaders.
Finn was troubled to hear Trump express admiration for Putin, Assad, and even Kim Jong Un. She called it a “tyrannical pattern” that presents a danger to Americans and the rest of the world.
Haglund asked Finn if she, as a conservative woman, would also describe herself as a feminist.
“I don’t go around saying I’m a feminist. That’s not the best word to describe who I am… That is not a label I would raise to the forefront to describe myself if I was giving my 140 character elevator pitch. But if it’s yes or no… I lean towards yes I am, but it’s based on my definition of feminism. I believe the term has been co-opted by the left and that’s why so many people have trouble identifying with it.”
Finn explained her view: “No one should hold you back because you are a woman. That’s my definition of feminism.”
Finn also discussed her challenging childhood that helped shape her views as a conservative – namely that she was raised by a single mom who taught her the value of personal responsibility and working hard to overcome obstacles.
Listen to the full interview, and be sure to subscribe to “The Sonder Podcast” with Kirsten Haglund on iTunes.