DALLAS, Texas — Before a Dallas Stars hockey game at the American Airlines Center last week, fans were met by an ordinary, eager-looking guy wearing a TCU ballcap and a shirt that read 'Literally Anybody Else 2024' by the steps of PNC Plaza.
His mission? Impossible. But the sentiment driving it all? Wholly relatable, sympathetic, and engaging to many voters who don't want to see former President Trump or now President Biden win the race for the White House come November.
That guy's name in the TCU ballcap is first name: Literally. Middle name: Anybody. Last name: Else.
Not joking.
Watch the full interview with Literally Anybody Else here:
He's a 35-year-old Birdville ISD 7th grade math teacher and Army veteran who legally changed his name to 'Literally Anybody Else' earlier this year to run for president in the first year he's eligible to do so.
We checked -- a Tarrant County judge signed off on the name change, though Mr. Else mentioned they weren't amused.
"This isn't about me 'Literally Anybody Else' more so as it is an idea. We can do better out of 300 million people for president," Mr. Else said.
Mr. Else has already filed with the Federal Election Commission. He was at the game stumping for signatures to try and land on Texas' November ballot as an independent presidential candidate.
It's still possible at this point but immensely difficult.
"I'm not delusional. This will be very hard to do, but it's not impossible. My hope is to have Donald Trump, Joe Biden, and then Literally Anybody Else right underneath," Mr. Else said. "I really want there to be an outlet for folks like me who are just so fed up with this constant power grab between two parties that has no benefit for the common person."
Per the state--an application to be on the ballot as an independent candidate must be submitted with a petition and both documents must be filed on or before May 13, 2024.
Potential candidates can start gathering signatures for their petition after March 5, 2024. But there's a massive hurdle: the petition must have 113,151 signatures from registered voters who did *not vote in the presidential primary of either party in Texas.
Other states have similar requirements and deadlines for independent candidates. So, it will be doubtful that Else gets this accomplished in every territory voting for the next president. His best chance is to apply as a write-in candidate for the Lone Star State and others too.
In Texas, a write-in candidate only has to register with the state, but hordes of signatures aren't needed for the secretary of state to accept their votes if a voter writes their name down in November.
In other words, Mr. Else has to become a household name overnight even to have a chance in the big show--something he's aware of.
"Write that name in--we don't really have a 'neither' option on the ballot, and this fills that role," Else said.
But Else's candidacy feels more like a rallying cry against the current state of politics and who Republicans and Democrats are offering up to run the country.
In an ABC/Ipsos survey earlier this month, Americans were asked if they'd trust Trump, Biden, or neither to better lead the country as president. 36% of Americans said they trust Trump to do a better job, while 33% trust Biden more—and 30% trust neither.
That 'neither' group is the one Trump and Biden will be chasing after hard. People like Else.
Else, whose name was Dustin Ebey before the name change, feels like his candidacy isn't about winning but sending a message.
To him, he wants voters who feel as he does to write 'Literally Anybody Else' as a statement of dissatisfaction.
"People are voting for the lesser of two evils, not someone they actually believe in or support," Else said. "People should have the option to vote for someone who resembles and represents them, not the lesser of two evils. I reject that."
Else was born in Fort Worth and grew up in Louisiana. He started off college at LSU but had to drop out and join the military because he ran out of money. He served in the Army from 2012 to 2018 and graduated from TCU with a focus in combined science, aided by military benefits.
He worked as an insurance adjuster before becoming a math teacher. While in the military, he traveled quite a bit as an ambassador, singing in the U.S. Army Chorus.
He considers himself a centrist in his political beliefs, which is always ambiguous to many, but Else said he has beliefs from both the right and the left.
If you'd like to read more about his stances on healthcare, the border, and the economy--he has a website titled www.literallyanybodyelse.com
"I would love to get up on the debate stage and bring some reality to what's happening. I'm there because both of them aren't enough," Else said.
But what happens after November? Does Else change his name? Do his students address him as such now?
Per Else, his students still call him by his new legal name because he wants to keep politics out of the classroom. His license will likely resemble his old one if his movement doesn't gain steam.
But he's going to march toward November, nonetheless.
"We have the responsibility to stand up for ourselves and say enough is enough. Let everyone know we're not hopeless," Else said. "If you want to accomplish something no one ever has--you have to do something no one's ever done."
