A third-party candidate – even an unsuccessful one – could at least prevent Donald Trump from being the only face of conservatism for the next six months, says Weekly Standard Editor Bill Kristol.
The presumptive GOP nominee Trump doesn't have the "character or judgment" to be commander in chief, while Democrat Hillary Clinton would be disastrous making Supreme Court picks, Kristol told host Andrea Mitchell Thursday on "MSNBC Live."
Kristol said he's open to heterodox positions within the Republican Party, and has been open to insurgents against the establishment about half the time.
"That's one thing, whether you are more inclined to be with Mitch McConnell or more inclined to be with Ted Cruz," he said. "That's really, in my view, a different kind of choice."
Trump's brash personality and insults to people will end up being at least one face of conservatism at least until the general election, Kristol said, but an alternative – even if he or she goes down in defeat – could provide an alternative narrative of conservatism.
Retired Marine Corps General James Mattis already has rebuffed Kristol's attempt to draft him, and Sen. Ben Sasse, whom Kristol suggested Wednesday, also has said he has no such interest, though he, too, wants a third-party choice.
If no one emerges as a third-party candidate, Kristol said he'll likely just write someone in.
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