Retiree Running For President? Donors Seek Marine General James Mattis As Alternative To Current Nominees

Could we have a new nominee running for President of the United States? That’s what donors and Marines alike are hoping for. Marine General James Mattis is the man they want facing off against Donald Trump, Bernie Sanders, and everybody else, for the nation’s next Commander in Chief.

General James Mattis is what many in the Marine Corps call “Mad Dog” and “The Warrior Monk,” and his military prowess is renowned.

Some see the current Presidential hopeful lineup as a competition between “firsts.” Hillary Clinton would be the first female President, though many Republicans believe she was already President once when her husband, Bill, presided. Bernie Sanders would be the first Jewish President, and is currently the only front runner who isn’t winning due to name recognition. Donald Trump might not be the first controversial president, but he’s showing the world how insensitive he can be with his campaign.

A petition has been created online asking for Marine General James Mattis to run for President, despite the retired officer saying he won’t. He had turned down the chance before in 2012, saying “I like the enemy knowing there are a few guys like me around. [It’s] time for younger people, especially veterans, to run for office.” The lack of funding was what stopped a former Marine from urging the people nationwide to write him in anyway.

To this day, no candidate written in has won, and some say that it’s because write-ins are ignored and count toward whoever wins among the regular candidates.

General James Mattis would be a president I could get behind pic.twitter.com/mfDKwFqd1j

— The Comrade? (@ComradeBornath) April 9, 2016

If the petition is successful, and General James Mattis decides he will be running for president, it would be the first time since Ronald Reagan that a man with a military reputation sits in the White House. Technically, Reagan was a star in old Westerns, but he ended up praised by many Republicans for being one of the greatest men to lead our nation.

John Noonan added why he believes the Marine General should be running for President of the United States.

“Everyone is hoping that Ted Cruz pulls it out, but I think a great deal of Republicans would rally behind an American hero if the choice is between Mattis and Trump. He’s a man of character and integrity. He’s given his life to his country. How do you ask someone like that to leap headfirst into this toxic mud puddle of a race? It’s damn hard. Trump is a fascist lunatic and Hillary [Clinton] has one foot in a jail cell. That means the lunatic can win. I’d be first in line to plead with the general to come save America.”

Strategist Rick Wilson explained how General James Mattis running for President could work.

“The theme of 2016 is ‘all bets are off,’ and this is a cycle where the unexpected has become the defining characteristic of this election. In a moment when American politics on the left and right has been upended, and where the [front-runners] of both parties are compromised, the time may be upon us where a uniquely qualified, and uniquely credible third-party alternative like General Mattis can take the stage.”

Of course, it all comes down to whether or not the Marine General wants to change his mind and oppose Trump, Sanders, Clinton, and Cruz. Considering his reputation as a Marine legend, he’s probably not known for changing his mind.

Even though many are ready to back Mattis running for President of the United States, and he might be an effective choice on a practical level, the decision is still his to make.

[Image via Bryan Steffy/Getty Images for DIRECTV]