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| Who is Mark Everson? Why, he's the 18th Republican candidate, of course | Who is Mark Everson? Why, he's the 18th Republican candidate, of course |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Of the 18 different candidates for the Republican presidential nomination the national committee recognizes, only 17 were invited to participate in the party’s first primary debate. And being the 18th isn’t very fun right now. | Of the 18 different candidates for the Republican presidential nomination the national committee recognizes, only 17 were invited to participate in the party’s first primary debate. And being the 18th isn’t very fun right now. |
| Former IRS commissioner Mark Everson has spent months stumping across Iowa and New Hampshire, boasting of visiting 22 counties in Iowa alone. But on Thursday he won’t be in Cleveland. Instead he’ll be watching the debate at home. | Former IRS commissioner Mark Everson has spent months stumping across Iowa and New Hampshire, boasting of visiting 22 counties in Iowa alone. But on Thursday he won’t be in Cleveland. Instead he’ll be watching the debate at home. |
| In an interview with the Guardian, Everson expressed his disappointment that he will not be able to participate. Although he has filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission about his exclusion, he acknowledged it wasn’t likely that the sclerotic body would make a decision by Thursday. | In an interview with the Guardian, Everson expressed his disappointment that he will not be able to participate. Although he has filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission about his exclusion, he acknowledged it wasn’t likely that the sclerotic body would make a decision by Thursday. |
| Everson sees his exclusion from the Fox debate as the result of not being included in most polls but says he understands why polling organizations might want to leave him out, noting that “it costs money to include extra candidates in polls” and that he has “a limited chance” of winning the Republican nomination. | Everson sees his exclusion from the Fox debate as the result of not being included in most polls but says he understands why polling organizations might want to leave him out, noting that “it costs money to include extra candidates in polls” and that he has “a limited chance” of winning the Republican nomination. |
| Related: Is game theory the key to success in the Republican presidential debate? | Related: Is game theory the key to success in the Republican presidential debate? |
| However, Everson noted both former New York governor George Pataki and former Virginia governor Jim Gilmore are invariably included in national polls “and no one is suggesting that they have a very strong chance”. | However, Everson noted both former New York governor George Pataki and former Virginia governor Jim Gilmore are invariably included in national polls “and no one is suggesting that they have a very strong chance”. |
| In particular, Everson said he found the inclusion of Gilmore – who just announced last week and has engaged in little, if any, campaign activity – to be “a little grating”. Gilmore was a one-term governor in the early 2000s who briefly mounted a presidential bid in 2008 before becoming his party’s nominee for Senate in his home state. He lost that election in a landslide. | In particular, Everson said he found the inclusion of Gilmore – who just announced last week and has engaged in little, if any, campaign activity – to be “a little grating”. Gilmore was a one-term governor in the early 2000s who briefly mounted a presidential bid in 2008 before becoming his party’s nominee for Senate in his home state. He lost that election in a landslide. |
| Fox News did not immediately respond to a request for comment. | Fox News did not immediately respond to a request for comment. |
| But Everson expressed his hope to the Guardian that he will make future debates: “We really need to get visibility by getting on some of these stages.” | But Everson expressed his hope to the Guardian that he will make future debates: “We really need to get visibility by getting on some of these stages.” |
| He said that the RNC will post a Q&A with each of the candidates and expressed his hope that “this will drive people to help”. Everson also went out of his way to praise the national party committee. “I have no criticism of the RNC,” he said. “I think the RNC has been very fair and appreciate the posture they’ve taken.” | He said that the RNC will post a Q&A with each of the candidates and expressed his hope that “this will drive people to help”. Everson also went out of his way to praise the national party committee. “I have no criticism of the RNC,” he said. “I think the RNC has been very fair and appreciate the posture they’ve taken.” |
| The 60-year-old described himself as having “a nontraditional platform”: he supports mandatory national service and has pledged to serve only one term, but noted he “had more federal executive branch experience than any other candidate in the field [and perhaps] the entire field combined”. Everson served as an appointee in both the Reagan and the George W Bush administration, and his career culminated in serving as IRS commissioner from 2003-2007. | |
| Everson told the Guardian that if he managed to become the Republican nominee, he hoped some of his positions on tax reform and immigration reform – the candidate describes himself on his website as “support[ing] an amnesty (to call it anything else is disingenuous) and path to citizenship” – would appeal to “centrists”. | Everson told the Guardian that if he managed to become the Republican nominee, he hoped some of his positions on tax reform and immigration reform – the candidate describes himself on his website as “support[ing] an amnesty (to call it anything else is disingenuous) and path to citizenship” – would appeal to “centrists”. |
| However, Everson’s candidacy does have plenty of obstacles to overcome. | However, Everson’s candidacy does have plenty of obstacles to overcome. |
| He spent a brief stint running the American Red Cross in 2007 but he was asked to resign after the company learned he had an affair with a subordinate who subsequently became pregnant. | He spent a brief stint running the American Red Cross in 2007 but he was asked to resign after the company learned he had an affair with a subordinate who subsequently became pregnant. |
| Everson’s fundraising has also been anemic since the launch of his campaign in March. In his most recent fundraising report, he raised $148,000 in the second quarter of 2015, most of which he loaned his campaign himself. | Everson’s fundraising has also been anemic since the launch of his campaign in March. In his most recent fundraising report, he raised $148,000 in the second quarter of 2015, most of which he loaned his campaign himself. |
| For Everson, it will be impossible for him to receive his party’s nomination next summer if the underdog doesn’t find a way to qualify for any of his party’s primary debates. | For Everson, it will be impossible for him to receive his party’s nomination next summer if the underdog doesn’t find a way to qualify for any of his party’s primary debates. |