A North Texas man has legally changed his name to “Literally Anybody Else” and is now running for president of the United States after being disenfranchised by both primary candidates.
Else, 35, formerly Dustin Ebey, changed his name to make a point. Else is a disabled Army veteran and a seventh-grade math teacher who resides in North Richland Hills, per The Dallas Morning News.
“People are fed up,” Else explained, adding, “Government is supposed to be by the people, for the people, but that’s not what we have here. We have a billionaire and a career politician,” reported the DMN.
The Texas Secretary of State notes that to get on the ballot, independent candidates must obtain at least 113,151 signatures by May 13 from registered voters who did not vote in either party’s presidential primary election.
Else realizes he has practically no chance of winning, but he claims his campaign isn’t about winning but about making a statement.
“For too long have Americans been a victim of its political parties putting party loyalty over governance,” his website states. “Together let’s send the message to Washington and say, ‘You will represent the people or be replaced.’ America should not be stuck choosing between the ‘King of Debt’ (his self-declaration) and an 81-year-old.”
Else noted on his website that ‘Literally Anybody Else’ is more of a “rally cry” than a person.
Else explained that the decision to change his name originated after the final GOP debate when it became inevitable that the 2024 election would be a rematch between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump.
“As we started getting closer and closer to the election season, it became clearer and clearer that it was going to be the same, if not worse than the last two elections,” Else said to The Hill.
“It’s just kind of… in that feeling of desperation, I was like, ‘Man, is there any way we can put literally anybody else on the ballot?’”
Recent polls by The Pew Research Center show that a significant segment of the American population is dissatisfied with both primary candidates. The poll results found that over one-quarter (26%) of respondents held unfavorable views of both candidates, with just 2% of respondents saying they held favorable opinions of both candidates.
Slightly more poll respondents, 37%, held favorable views of Trump than Biden, at 34%. The deviation was more stark among voters between the ages of 18 and 29. The poll found that 2 of every 5 respondents in that age group held unfavorable views of both candidates.
“The independents don’t really have a voice. Polarizing characters usually take the front seat, and it’s a little sad for our country,” Whitney Tallarico, a Washington-area consultant, told Reuters in January.
When asked whether she would vote for Biden or Trump, Tallarico said, “I’ll probably go for a third party.”
Tallarico’s sentiment is echoed by Else, who said the candidates don’t offer many options for American voters.
“I don’t care as much about winning the Oval Office, but it is important that the message gets through to… the powers that be, who decide who ends up on the ballot,” Else told The Hill. “Ultimately, that’s what I’m fighting against. ‘Literally anybody else’ should not be as popular as it is.”
Else is encouraging Texas voters to write his name on November’s ballot.
