We already addressed this, Ex.
The entire point is that you're not clear cut town. You do know what WIFOM is, ja? Just like what Numbers covered and I touched on as well, nothing concrete can be taken one way or another concerning what KJ said.
Why would KJ push his scum bud in thread you ask? I ask why not to create the illusion that you're not paired.
JD succinctly described/summed it up as reverse psychology, but somehow you missed that even when it was reiterated with more words by me.
TO BE CLEAR: You are not confirmed town. Your alignment is still in question regardless of KJ trying to snipe you with bonus votes that, per his own role, he would be aware of not counting towards majority (ergo it'd create the illusion of trying to snipe you -- or soft bus as JD put it).
Shooting you covers the bases for us since you could be mafia and are trying to hide behind the Thing.
Your only other argument is that having that passive makes the game easier on you and that you shouldn't be killed. Not only that, but you even floated the idea that you should be protected to avoid being killed even though losing the passive to a member of the mafia helps close out the game faster with a town victory.
Ahhhh, but you're scared town will fumble and want to keep the passive to ensure your own victory.
JD is right. You don't care about the town over your own hide. That speaks to an anti-town mentality and the likelihood of you not being town aligned. It gives credence to the idea that you truly are mafia aligned -- or rather, something more sinister.
I'm going to dispense with going back and quoting OG's passive, but suffice it to say I do not believe in the revealed information we have does it say that the Thing is purely a non-hostile survivor. Before I dive down this hole, let me be clear that I'm looking at a scenario where Ex is not town aligned and is, instead, something else -- not even mafia.
For if Ex was mafia, and the only one, the game should end if he's being honest about the passive from The Thing. Game hasn't ended though. What if there is more than one mafia and Ex is mafia? Well, obviously Ex would just out his buddy -- or so we think. Obviously having that passive and the knowledge that he can win with town means he doesn't need to keep his buddy alive so why not out him? Well, where is the fun in that, eh? Perhaps Ex doesn't want to be like (not) me and publicly out his buddy. Maybe he wants to play it out to see if his team can win with the backup that he has a sure-fire plan to win even if the mafia loses. Nothing stops his buddy from killing him though, unless they get into a struggle about directing the NK and Rag has to resolve that (lololol MSP Mafia 3).
Barring that, Ex having the Thing could certainly make him more hostile than we're being told. After all, the logic is sound that as town, Ex would certainly win by dying to the mafia and the mafia (having one member) would inherit the survivor con of The Thing thereby ending the game. Ex wouldn't lose.
But he doesn't want to die. He wants to keep The Thing for himself. Why? And I don't mean why based on what Ex has been arguing from his public perspective.
As I just said, as town Ex wins by dying as the Thing to the last member of the mafia. And if Ex was the last member, as detailed above, game would've ended or there are two and it is a bit more.
Or, as I would like to think, there is more to The Thing than Ex has expanded upon. Perhaps The Thing is hostile and carries with it something more that makes surviving with it imperative. It's the only way to explain Ex's unwillingness to die (whether by JD's hand or the hand of the mafia).
Or I could be overthinking the hostility of the Thing. After all KJ, prior to dying, didn't express any despair or anything. His move would be in-line with having a partner still alive to win for him so that's more believable than some far'fetched thing I am dreaming.
Still, Ex is cagey. A.F.