So, I have a story about John Weaver... fortunately not one thematically similar to the young men who he groomed and sexually exploited, but certainly one of historical and moral interest 1/x

In 2011, @michaeljknowles and I formed a student group to draft Mitch Daniels to run for President. We thought he had the character, temperament, and leadership skills to put America back on better moral and fiscal footing 2/x

The main factor said to be holding Daniels back at the time was his wife's reservations. They had divorced and remarried, and she did not want the media to pick over every detail in the very likely politics-of-personal-destruction that could come with a Presidential run 3/x

Ultimately, she vetoed after a rival campaign orchestrated an incredibly dirty political hit - connecting the ex-wife of the man Daniels' wife was briefly married to with a reporter, leading to a story that all but promised "If you run, Mitch, we will destroy your wife" 4/x

After Daniels decided not to run, Knowles and I were contacted by John Weaver who offered us a "seat at the table" on the Huntsman campaign if we endorsed him and helped to lead his youth operation. He ghosted us after getting what he wanted 5/x

We later learn that it was the Huntsman campaign, under Weaver's leadership, that orchestrated the political hit job against Mitch Daniels' wife. We were later assured by members of the Huntsman family that this was done entirely behind their backs and without their knowledge 6/x

Going after a man's wife is one of the the dirtiest things you can do in politics.

If Weaver's team hadn't done it, Daniels might have run.

If he ran, I believe he could have won - or at the least that the course of American political history would have been v different 7/x

Many inflection points of gross immorality lead to where we are today in American politics.

This was one of them.

A man who attached himself to politicians purporting to represent Republican Virtue (TM) and Principled Conservatism ... 8/x

Was not only grooming and sexually exploiting young men, but was also ran the campaign that conducted one of the grossest, least-remembered, and plausibly most consequential personal-destruction-hit-jobs of the 21st century 9/x

One could say many things about this...

I'll refrain from further personal comment or moral/lesson conclusions and just end the thread having provided these facts as fodder for reflection on why we are where we are today in American politics.

Fin