Ben Sasse, please run for president!
We need a third-party candidate, and the freshman senator from Nebraska should be our conservative hero


For conservatives who refuse to fall in line behind Donald Trump as he marches toward the Republican presidential nomination, there's only one option left: resistance.
I've argued before that resisting Trump should take the form of a third-party bid, because it's the honorable thing to do, it's politically smart, and it will show that the Republican Party can't win without true conservatives. But the question remains: Who should be the standard-bearer of this party?
Nikki Haley would be the perfect choice, but it seems that, tragically and short-sightedly, she's backing Trump, however tepidly.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Mitt Romney almost certainly won't. And that's okay — while he's a good man, he also represents the self-delusion of the GOP establishment that made Trump's rise possible to begin with.
Paul Ryan is a good choice. He represents much of what's best about the Republican Party, he gets it, and he has experience with a national campaign. But he ruled himself out of running for president. Technically, he ruled himself out as a white-horse candidate in a contested convention, not a third-party campaign, but it sounds like he's determined to stay in the speaker's office.
But then there's somebody else. Somebody who has quickly grown to become a hero for conservatives. I am speaking, of course, of the freshman senator from Nebraska, Ben Sasse. He basically sounds like a hero made for conservatives like me. He's one of those Tea-Party-wave senators and a serious conservative, but also an intellectual, with a PhD from Yale, who was a college president before going into politics, who can explain conservatism in 90 seconds. He sent his teen daughter to work on a farm one summer to learn about life. He just seems like a swell guy, and not just because he's great at Twitter.
As best as I can tell, he's the highest ranking Republican official to say in no uncertain terms that he won't support Trump and to call for a third-party candidacy. In a poignant and powerful letter posted on Facebook, he wrote:
With Clinton and Trump, the fix is in. Heads, they win; tails, you lose. Why are we confined to these two terrible options? This is America. If both choices stink, we reject them and go bigger. That's what we do. Remember: Our Founders didn't want entrenched political parties. So why should we accept this terrible choice? So... let's have a thought experiment for a few weeks: Why shouldn't America draft an honest leader who will focus on 70 percent solutions for the next four years? You know... an adult? [Ben Sasse]
He immediately added a phrase that was clearly meant to emphatically state that he doesn't want to be that third-party candidate while leaving him some wiggle room: "Such a leader should be able to campaign 24/7 for the next six months. Therefore he/she likely can't be an engaged parent with little kids." Don't look at me!
Come on, senator. As Bill Kristol immediately pointed out, little kids would love the campaign. They'd be homeschooled and they'd get to travel the country. It would be a great experience for them — it's actually an argument for running.
Sen. Sasse has all the requisite qualities and more to be this third-party candidate. Draft Ben Sasse!
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry is a writer and fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. His writing has appeared at Forbes, The Atlantic, First Things, Commentary Magazine, The Daily Beast, The Federalist, Quartz, and other places. He lives in Paris with his beloved wife and daughter.
-
What does the Le Pen verdict mean for the future of French politics?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION Convicted of embezzlement and slapped with a five year ban on running for public office, where does arch-conservative Marine Le Pen go from here — and will the movement she leads follow?
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Discount stores were thriving. How did they stumble?
The Explainer Blame Walmart — and inflation
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Kaja Kallas: the EU's new chief diplomat shaping the future of European defense
In the Spotlight Former Estonian Prime Minister's status as an uncompromising Russia hawk has gone from liability to strength
By David Faris Published
-
The JFK files: the truth at last?
In The Spotlight More than 64,000 previously classified documents relating the 1963 assassination of John F. Kennedy have been released by the Trump administration
By The Week Staff Published
-
'Seriously, not literally': how should the world take Donald Trump?
Today's big question White House rhetoric and reality look likely to become increasingly blurred
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Will Trump's 'madman' strategy pay off?
Today's Big Question Incoming US president likes to seem unpredictable but, this time round, world leaders could be wise to his playbook
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Democrats vs. Republicans: who are the billionaires backing?
The Explainer Younger tech titans join 'boys' club throwing money and support' behind President Trump, while older plutocrats quietly rebuke new administration
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
US election: where things stand with one week to go
The Explainer Harris' lead in the polls has been narrowing in Trump's favour, but her campaign remains 'cautiously optimistic'
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Is Trump okay?
Today's Big Question Former president's mental fitness and alleged cognitive decline firmly back in the spotlight after 'bizarre' town hall event
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
The life and times of Kamala Harris
The Explainer The vice-president is narrowly leading the race to become the next US president. How did she get to where she is now?
By The Week UK Published
-
Will 'weirdly civil' VP debate move dial in US election?
Today's Big Question 'Diametrically opposed' candidates showed 'a lot of commonality' on some issues, but offered competing visions for America's future and democracy
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published