Althouse: "Vetting a former spy for the nation’s highest office isn’t easy, considering the classified nature of his government service."

October 31, 2016

"Vetting a former spy for the nation’s highest office isn’t easy, considering the classified nature of his government service."

"This has left McMullin vulnerable to attacks he cannot publicly address. But I interviewed six former CIA officers who worked with McMullin during his 10 years inside the agency. What emerged was a picture of a young case officer who volunteered for duty in the world’s most dangerous places and had a unique talent for recruiting members of extremist organizations as assets.... His campaign has garnered national press attention, but McMullin himself had avoided much scrutiny until polls this month showed him virtually even with Trump and Hillary Clinton in Utah. Then the attacks began.... Political professionals and pundits often lash out at what they don’t understand; for them McMullin, who spent most of his career in the shadows, is an enigma...."

From "Inside Evan McMullin’s 10 years undercover in the CIA," by Josh Rogin.

(And, yeah: garnered.)

23 comments:

Sebastian said...: "McMullin, who spent most of his career in the shadows, is an enigma." No wonder our "intelligence" services are such a mess. There's no enigma: he wants to stop Trump.; 10/31/16, 8:35 AM
Henry said...: There's a character that shows up in CIA-type spy films that I think of as the Mormon Case Officer. It's always a earnest, boyish young man in a secondary role who either gets co-opted by a corrupt boss or killed off.

In the Bourne Identity and Bourne Supremacy movies, for example, its Gabriel Mann as Danny Zorn.; 10/31/16, 8:45 AM
Humperdink said...: Saw an interview with this character over the weekend. Not impressed. When confronted with the "I am in this only to stop Trump" allegation, he response was evasive. He's a worm.; 10/31/16, 8:50 AM
Wince said...: Could McMillan be a MacGuffin in the story of this election?

I tend to doubt it.; 10/31/16, 9:03 AM
Etienne said...: One of the duties of people at McMullin's level in the CIA, was the daily choice of who was to be killed, and who was allowed to survive.

I kind of like that in a President.; 10/31/16, 9:10 AM
Meade said...: "I kind of like that in a President."

By the way, look at that screen behind the presenter... off of Obama's left shoulder. Isn't that Evan McMullin?; 10/31/16, 9:22 AM
CStanley said...: I find him believable and the word "earnest" is the descriptor that immediately comes to mind. I would like to vote for him but I will likely watch the polls and might have to vote Trump if he's really in danger of losing GA.

I really believe though that anyone who is either center right or who would like to see a future for viable opposition to the monstrosity that is the Democratic Party, and whose votes would harm Hillary more than Trump, should vote McMullin. He represents the future of picking up the pieces after Trump blows it all up.; 10/31/16, 9:26 AM
Unknown said...: I'm supposed to be Mcmullin's prime target: I live in Utah, and the press are completely in his tank, pushing him relentlessly.

Here, there's two political stories: How wonderful Mcmullin is and how awful Trump is. Wikileaks? Clinton Foundation? Silence. Even our allegedly "conservative" paper is radio silent on Clinton corruption.

You want to know how Mcmullin got to where he is? An all out media blitz on the local level. It's like Washington Post, except instead of Hillary, they shill for McMullin.

And they don't cover his "I want Trump to lose and that's why I am running." statements.

--Vance; 10/31/16, 9:36 AM
MayBee said...: If this were Trump vs. Webb or Trump vs O'Malley, I could see the point of McMullin.
But at this point a vote for him is a vote for Hillary, no matter what he tells himself.; 10/31/16, 9:57 AM
Achilles said...: Mcmuffin is a copout for cowards who want to be tools for Hillary. Nothing more.; 10/31/16, 9:59 AM
MayBee said...: Can we get a (WaPo) or (NYT) heads up on links? There's nothing worse than hitting a link and using up one of my free articles on something I don't really need to read.; 10/31/16, 10:00 AM
Birches said...: The conspiracy theories by crackpot Utah Trumpists is hilarious. A friend of a fb friend said he was obviously untrustworthy because he was a member of the Council of Foreign Relations and that organization was started by the Rothchilds, so obviously it is evil. Oh, and some people are all hung up on the fact that he went from the CIA to Goldman Sachs, forgetting that he graduated from Wharton in between. I think they're convinced he was a Wall Street assassin or something.

If Trump loses Utah, it wasn't a conspiracy and Hillary will have reached 270 without it.; 10/31/16, 10:12 AM
Birches said...: Vance, you are not a woman or young, therefore you are not McMullin's prime target, regardless of your religion.; 10/31/16, 10:15 AM
Bob Boyd said...: The guy is a Republican candidate and the NYT isn't ripping him to shreds.
That can only mean one thing.; 10/31/16, 10:44 AM
mccullough said...: McMullen is 40 years old and not married. Guess he's a virgin.; 10/31/16, 10:47 AM
Etienne said...: mccullough said...McMullen is 40 years old and not married. Guess he's a virgin.

Maybe he just hasn't "come out" yet. If not that, maybe he just hasn't found the four women who like each other enough to be his wives.; 10/31/16, 11:22 AM
veni vidi vici said...: What party ticket does this guy represent? Is he even a thing outside Utah? I mean, besides the vaunted "magic underwear vote", where is this guy, numberswise?; 10/31/16, 12:31 PM
Larry J said...: I read something on InstaPundit last week claiming that the goal is to prevent Hillary and Trump from getting 270 EC votes so the election will be thrown into the House of Representatives. Some claim the goal is to put Mitt Romney into the White House. If you think the election of 2000 was contentious, this would make that controversy look like nothing.; 10/31/16, 1:42 PM
Bad Lieutenant said...: Don't these people realize that they will all be murdered for betraying the Constitution?; 10/31/16, 2:27 PM
Left Bank of the Charles said...: So the CIA is trying to stop Trump and the FBI is trying to stop Clinton.; 10/31/16, 2:57 PM
robother said...: The Bush Family had to reach deep into the CIA for the NeverTrump candidate. Fortunately George H.W. had his rolodex from the 70s to call for help in recruiting a young field officer who would do or die for the "Real Country" as they no doubt imagine it.; 10/31/16, 3:53 PM
Michael K said...: " He represents the future of picking up the pieces after Trump blows it all up."

Dream on. He is a cipher (literally) in a plot to set another "Corrupt Bargain."

I cannot understand why serious people, and I no longer consider Bill Kristol serious, would try this.

"If you think the election of 2000 was contentious, this would make that controversy look like nothing."

It would look like 1824.; 10/31/16, 7:38 PM
Henry said...: Good. It's November. Now I can read the article.; 11/1/16, 8:03 AM