No Labels - a 3rd Alternative for 2024

[TGHusker]

I thought "No Labels" deserved a thread of their own.  They may (hopefully) become a force in the 2024 election cycle.  So, we can track their work on this thread separate from the 2024 Presidential thread. 

 

In the 2024 Presidential thread, I mentioned Peggy Noonan's recent OPED.  She mentions the centralist group "No Labels" as working behind the scenes to get a 3rd party candidate on all state ballots.  Joe Liberman, Gov Larry Hogan , Dr Benjamin Chavis, John Hope Bryan are national co-chairmen or vice chair.   I hope they can come up with a non-partisan ticket in 2024. 

About the group.

https://www.nolabels.org/why    

 

Their strategy for 2024

https://2024.nolabels.org/

 

 

https://www.action.nolabels.org/articles/9-labels-2024-insurance-project-faq

Quote

 

Question: What does No Labels stand for?

Answer: We are a growing national movement of commonsense Americans pushing our leaders together to solve our country’s biggest problems.

Specifically, we believe:

1. We care about this country more than the demands of any political party.
2. Political leaders need to listen more to the majority of Americans and less to extremists on the far left and right.
3. We are grateful to live in a country where we can openly disagree with other people.
4. America isn’t perfect, but we love this country and would not want to live any place else.
5. We can still love and respect people who do not share our political opinions.
6. We support, and are grateful for, the U.S. military.

Question: What is the No Labels 2024 insurance project?

Answer: No Labels is working to ensure Americans have the choice to vote for a presidential ticket that features strong, effective, and honest leaders who will commit to working closely with both parties to find commonsense solutions to America’s biggest problems. The centerpiece of our effort is a nationwide ballot access effort, which will enable the nomination of an independent Unity presidential ticket if that’s what the American people want.

Question: Why do you think there is an opening for an independent Unity presidential ticket in 2024?

Answer: Because this is a unique American moment where the American people so clearly desire an alternative to what our political system is giving them. The American public has rarely, if ever, been less hopeful about our future and more disgusted with our politics. There is universal contempt for Congress. They don’t trust the media, big business, or our major institutions. They see Washington as full of people who are arrogant, indifferent, corrupt, and unpatriotic.

These sentiments came through so clearly when No Labels polled 26,230 registered voters in December 2022, which revealed American’s profound frustration, their desire for more choices for president beyond what the two major parties are offering, and a real path to an Electoral College victory for an independent Unity ticket in 2024.

Question: Is No Labels running a presidential campaign?

Answer: No, No Labels is not and never will be running or funding a presidential campaign. We are only obtaining ballot access in states across the country to lay the necessary groundwork, which is necessary because the major political parties have put up such high barriers to competition. In short, No Labels is working to build the launching pad of an independent Unity presidential ticket. If we ultimately nominate a ticket, it will be up to their campaign team to build the rocket to take them to the White House.

Question: Who funds No Labels?

Answer: No Labels has donors from across the country, and across the political spectrum, but all of them are united behind our critical mission to bring this divided country back together. We never share the names of our donors because we live in an era where agitators and partisan operatives try to destroy and intimidate organizations they don’t like by attacking their individual supporters. No Labels’ 2024 insurance project is an effort to secure ballot access nationwide and is not and never will be a presidential campaign. Since we announced our project, we’ve been threatened online with acts of violence, including death threats. We’re not going to subject the thousands of patriotic and principled people who support us to that kind of treatment.

Question: What does ballot access mean?

Answer: The two dominant methods for how a candidate can get a spot on an election ballot are: 1) running as an independent or 2) through the processes of a political party. For political parties, a person can join an existing party or unite with other citizens to start their own. Though every state and party has its own unique ballot access laws and rules, the most widely used requirement is petition signatures – a certain number of registered voters must sign a petition affirming they want an entity or individual to appear on their state’s election ballot.

Since early 2022, No Labels has been working across the country to obtain ballot access.

Question: Is No Labels trying to create a third party?

Answer: No. As a technical matter, some states require No Labels to register as a political party as a condition of getting ballot access. But we are not running state or local candidates and we are not seeking to blow up the two-party system.

Since our inception, No Labels has been trying to make the two-party system work by building a bipartisan governing coalition in Congress. We created the first-of-its-kind House Problem Solvers Caucus and an allied Senate group that were the force behind historic bipartisan achievements like the 2021 infrastructure bill. We want to strengthen the two-party system and we believe laying the groundwork for an independent Unity presidential ticket in 2024 is the best way to do it.

Question: What criteria will the No Labels nominating committee use to determine whether to nominate a ticket?

Answer: The mission of No Labels 2024 insurance project is to help ensure America elects a presidential ticket that features strong, effective, and honest leaders who will commit to working closely with both parties to find commonsense solutions to America’s biggest problems.

No Labels will nominate a Unity presidential ticket in 2024 under the following conditions:

1. Neither the Democratic nor Republican party presidential nominees embrace or embody the values and commitments expressed in the No Labels Mission Statement. Evidence of this commitment should include public affirmative statements, including confirmation that the ticket would adopt key elements of No Labels’ Commonsense policy agenda, set to be released in summer 2023; 
2. The majority of the American people want an alternative to the major party presidential nominees, as evidenced by rigorously analyzed polling data, and;
3. There is a viable path to an Electoral College victory for a No Labels Unity Ticket (consisting of a President and Vice President not of the same party unless both are independents), as evidenced by rigorously analyzed polling data.

Question: What will happen at the No Labels 2024 convention in Dallas, Texas?

Answer: No matter what, No Labels will gather 3,000 of our supporters from across the country at this convention to show the strength and enthusiasm of America’s growing commonsense majority. If No Labels nominates an independent Unity presidential ticket, it will be unveiled at the convention. If No Labels does not nominate an independent Unity presidential ticket at the convention, we’ll still rally our community behind the critically important work we are doing in Congress and to advocate for No Labels’ Commonsense Policy Agenda.

Question: What are No Labels’ positions on key policy issues?

Answer: In the summer of 2023, No Labels will release our Commonsense Policy agenda, which articulates commonsense solutions – supported by a broad majority of Americans – to some of America’s toughest problems. 

Question: Why does No Labels believe an independent Unity ticket could win, given the fact that third-party candidates rarely get traction in presidential races? 

Answer: Because this moment really is unlike any other time in modern U.S. political history, and because a growing commonsense majority is so clearly looking for alternatives to the choices the two major parties may offer them in 2024. Our polling shows 59% of Americans would be open to supporting a moderate independent presidential candidate in 2024. That’s an unprecedented figure that reflects how fed up the American people are with the division in our country and how hungry they are for political leaders who will unite us.

Question: If an independent Unity presidential ticket ran for president, would it be more likely to draw votes from the Democratic or Republican nominees?

Answer: The profile of the candidates on any Unity presidential ticket would ultimately be the most important determinant of which kind of voters support their candidacy. But No Labels’ December 2022 polling showed that a moderate independent ticket would draw equally from both Democratic and Republican voters.

The last time an independent made a play for the vast middle of the electorate – which a ticket running on No Labels’ line would do in 2024 – was Ross Perot in 1992. And Perot didn’t provide a measurable advantage to either of the major party nominees. A November 5, 1992 New York Times story cited exit polling showing “If Mr. Perot had not been on the ballot, 38 percent of his voters said they would have voted for Gov. Bill Clinton, and 38 percent said they would have voted for President Bush,” while 24 percent would not have voted at all.

Question: Would No Labels nominate an independent Unity presidential ticket in 2024 if the Democratic nominee is Joe Biden and the Republican nominee is former President Trump?

Answer: It’s too early to know. We will nominate an independent Unity presidential ticket only if the public clearly wants an alternative to the major party nominees and there is a viable path to Electoral College victory for a Unity ticket in 2024.

We will be regularly polling and measuring public opinion through the spring of 2024 to determine whether there is a desire and a path to victory for an independent Unity presidential ticket.

Question: Would No Labels use its ballot line in the states to nominate candidates for any offices other than the presidency of the United States?

Answer: We currently have no plans to offer our ballot line to candidates for any office other than the presidency. The purpose of this effort is to create the opening for an independent Unity presidential ticket if that’s what the people of America want and need.

 

 

[Scarlet]

28 minutes ago, TGHusker said:

I thought "No Labels" deserved a thread of their own.  They may (hopefully) become a force in the 2024 election cycle.  So, we can track their work on this thread separate from the 2024 Presidential thread. 

 

In the 2024 Presidential thread, I mentioned Peggy Noonan's recent OPED.  She mentions the centralist group "No Labels" as working behind the scenes to get a 3rd party candidate on all state ballots.  Joe Liberman, Gov Larry Hogan , Dr Benjamin Chavis, John Hope Bryan are national co-chairmen or vice chair.   I hope they can come up with a non-partisan ticket in 2024. 

About the group.

https://www.nolabels.org/why    

 

Their strategy for 2024

https://2024.nolabels.org/

 

 

https://www.action.nolabels.org/articles/9-labels-2024-insurance-project-faq

 

One problem with this idea is it's a sure gateway for Trump's reelection.  

[BigRedBuster]

2 minutes ago, Scarlet said:

One problem with this idea is it's a sure gateway for Trump's reelection.  

Which sucks because that's always the excuse people from the two major parties always use to NOT vote for someone outside those parties.  So, we never get a real third option.

[TGHusker]

Just now, Scarlet said:

One problem with this idea is it's a sure gateway for Trump's reelection.  

Depends on if the Never Trump GOP contingent grows prior to the election.   Their policy states that if they don't see a viable path to winning, they won't be endorsing a ticket.  If they see that both Trump and Biden are weakened nationally, then they will see that as an open door to go ahead.  

[Scarlet]

1 minute ago, TGHusker said:

Depends on if the Never Trump GOP contingent grows prior to the election.   Their policy states that if they don't see a viable path to winning, they won't be endorsing a ticket.  If they see that both Trump and Biden are weakened nationally, then they will see that as an open door to go ahead.  

At this time we need to weather the storm.  That being a second Trump administration and the end of democracy as we know it  His cult is about 40% of our population.  This wouldn't pull any of them away but would split the opposition.  It's too risky at this time.

[Lorewarn]

4 minutes ago, Scarlet said:

His cult is about 40% of our population. 

 

 

Not even close.

[Scarlet]

7 minutes ago, Lorewarn said:

 

 

Not even close.

Ok 25% approve of Trump and at least another 15% would vote for any MAGA candidate including Trump vs any other candidate.  Is that closer?

[TGHusker]

36 minutes ago, Scarlet said:

At this time we need to weather the storm.  That being a second Trump administration and the end of democracy as we know it  His cult is about 40% of our population.  This wouldn't pull any of them away but would split the opposition.  It's too risky at this time.

No way do I want to weather that storm (of course I won't have a choice if it were to occur). Trump 2.0 would be a disaster beyond comprehension for our country.  As he said in his announcement speech, he is on a retribution, revenge tour.  He is a man incapable of thinking of what is good for the nation long term.   If Biden is re-elected, we most likely end up with Harris or a repeat of the Woodward Wilson situation in which his wife was essentially the acting president (100 years ago - does history repeat itself?)

Harris would be a disaster in my book.  No way should she be near the WH as VP but we have what we have.  I'd rather have Bernie, E Warren if we were to jump that far left - they at least have some political sense and savviness. 

 

So long and short - I'm not going to accept the inevitable.   

 

Maybe Gov Hogan or Liz Cheney teams up with one of the moderate Dem Senators or Governors.   Yes, I know - Liz normally would not be considered a moderate but in today's climate maybe so on the GOP side.  

This lists some moderate GOP members

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/definition-moderate-scrambled-current-gop/story?id=92564006

 

HOWEVER,  anyone in office currently would be committing political suicide within their party if they jumped on a Unity Party ticket.  But, maybe one would rise up and be a stateman/woman and put the country ahead of party. 

 

Some ideas: 

Some Mod Dem Governors:  Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro ,  Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D), and Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey (D)

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D), North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper (D)  Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers   Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards

 

 https://www.forbes.com/sites/patrickgleason/2021/11/23/moderate-democratic-governors-reveal-bipartisan-path-not-taken-by-joe-biden/?sh=11a97be485f7

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/01/31/moderate-democratic-governors-are-having-boomlet/

 

These Dem Senators are listed on the ModSquad website   Tom Carper, Bob Casey, Martin Heinrich, Tim Kaine, Joe Manchin, Chris Murphy, Gary Peters,  Jacky Rosen,  Jon Testor,  Mark Warner

https://www.moderatedemocrats.org/candidates/

 

 

 

[Crusader Husker]

The fear has always been that people don't want to vote third party because it would elect the candidate from the party they hate the most.

 

I voted third party in 2020.  It was the greatest feeling ever.  I didn't vote for the lesser of 2 evil's.  

 

Look, unless these 2 die before election day, we are stuck with them.  One is insane and evil.  The other seems to have some mental health issues.

 

I will vote for someone else again in 2024.

[Decoy73]

1 hour ago, Crusader Husker said:

The fear has always been that people don't want to vote third party because it would elect the candidate from the party they hate the most.

 

I voted third party in 2020.  It was the greatest feeling ever.  I didn't vote for the lesser of 2 evil's.  

 

Look, unless these 2 day before election day, we are stuck with them.  One is insane and evil.  The other seems to have some mental health issues.

 

I will vote for someone else again in 2024.

Lots of people do this, but unless this third candidate is viable, which in 2024 they will not be, how is this not a self fulfilling exercise in futility?

 

Why even vote?

[RedDenver]

I'm open to it, but it would strongly depend on the candidate and the platform. And MAGA fascists not getting elected.

[JJ Husker]

6 hours ago, TGHusker said:

Depends on if the Never Trump GOP contingent grows prior to the election.   Their policy states that if they don't see a viable path to winning, they won't be endorsing a ticket.  If they see that both Trump and Biden are weakened nationally, then they will see that as an open door to go ahead.  

The problem is if 62% of R voters don’t want Trump to run again, that pretty much means 38% are for him. And if that 38% still wants him it isn’t going to be any less no matter what. Add in the Rs that will never vote for anything else even if they don’t want him to run (like archy) and a viable 3rd option pretty much only steals votes from the only option that has a chance to beat him.

 

It sounds good and I’d like to think I could vote for an Indy no label but they would have to be polling extremely well to take that chance.

[whateveritis1224]

Until there is a complete split in the Republican party between the ones that say they are middle of the road and the far right and they earn the majority over the current Republicans, this is a hard no. Cause this just sounds like people wanting to move the middle further to the right and work with reps on the right who have shown zero interest in wanting to compromise.

[knapplc]

I could not vote for a ticket that included a Republican candidate. The Republican name has been too tainted for me to ever vote for that name again.

 

Mainstream conservatives need to rebrand and make explicitly clear that they are not in ANY way associated with the Republican party from circa 1999-present before they can earn my vote again.

[Lorewarn]

8 hours ago, Decoy73 said:

Why even vote?

 

 

Why vote anyways?