Democrats Are Absolutely Terrified by the Possibility of a Third Party Run by ‘No Labels’
“the possibility of a well-financed third-party presidential campaign that could help elect a MAGA extremist president in 2024”
Democrats have made it known that they do not want a ‘No Labels’ candidate to launch a third party run in 2024. In Arizona, they are already suing to keep a ‘No Labels’ candidate off the ballot.
Even though ‘No Labels’ is a total mess as an organization, Democrats rightly fear that this type of candidate would hurt them far more than the Republican candidate.
A new opinion column at the Washington Post shows how deep the panic runs. This piece was written by Jonathan Cowan, president of Third Way, Rahna Epting, the executive director of MoveOn, and Patrick Gaspard, the CEO of the Center for American Progress Action Fund:
This plan for a third-party presidential bid in 2024 is dangerous
As leaders of three groups that represent various segments of the Democratic Party coalition, we don’t always agree on policy or politics. But lately, we find ourselves strongly united on one alarming issue: the possibility of a well-financed third-party presidential campaign that could help elect a MAGA extremist president in 2024.
Our country is staring down a series of once-in-a-generation threats that strike at the heart of American democracy — corruption on our nation’s highest court, fundamental rights tested at the ballot box and, of course, the Jan. 6, 2021, coup attempt. Yet instead of responding to these attacks with clear-eyed determination to protect our country, the organization known as No Labels is spearheading an effort to put a third-party ticket on the ballot in every state.
The group — founded in 2010 to combat rising political polarization — has said it is raising at least $70 million for the effort and is planning a convention in Dallas for April 2024. No Labels has condemned Donald Trump and Joe Biden as equally extreme and claims that their likely nominations by the major parties require another choice.
We understand the sentiment that has driven donors to the No Labels banner. But there is simply no equating a party led by Biden to today’s MAGA Republican Party.
The column goes on to remind readers of what happened with Ralph Nader in 2000 and Jill Stein in 2016 and points out that Trump won states like Wisconsin and Michigan.
Last week, Jonathan Chait wrote a similar column at NY Mag:
The Terrifying Threat That No Labels Will Reelect Trump
One underrated scenario that would enable a right-wing authoritarian like Ron DeSantis or even Donald Trump to win the presidency in 2024 is that the Republican path will be cleared by an organization called No Labels. The semi-inscrutable organization, which is lavishly funded by anonymous donors, is planning a third-party candidacy that would almost certainly peel off enough moderate voters from the Democratic ticket to ensure a Republican victory.
Like a far-off meteor heading directly for Earth, a No Labels campaign is simultaneously distant yet disconcertingly likely to result in catastrophe…
Given the minuscule margins by which Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump in 2020, any third-party campaign would likely enable Republicans to win another presidential election simply by consolidating the right-wing base.
What’s the problem here?
Haven’t Democrats been telling us for years now that they believe in democracy?
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Comments
The left will tell you it’s only good when someone’s ego does it on the GOP side. Thats why these 3rd party loons get a dressing down. They are no 3rd party win you can point to. there is no infrastructure, you have no donor class, and even if by some quirk you would win no support in government. That being said Go for it lefties.
Thumbs up!
Jesse Ventura won the governors race in Minnesota as a third party candidate near the turn of the century. However the point is well taken, Ventura winning as third party a candidate and Minnesota gas a history of non traditional candidates.
Judge a party, philosophy, etc. by the principles of its character.
That said, diversity of individuals, minority of one.
The Left’s mantra is protection of minorities. The smallest of minorities is the individual. Individual rights are the ultimate minority rights. Once in a collective, the individual is lost. The Left hates individualism. Extending Stalin….. the loss of individual rights is a tragedy… the loss within a collective is a statistic.
I can only assume that a “MAGA extremist” is someone who believes in things the Democrats and Rinos don’t: Secure borders instead of open borders, energy independence instead of relying on hostile foreign countries for our energy, and taking care of America first instead of sticking our noses in places around the world where there is no legitimate vital national interest instead of keeping a corrupt regime in place just to stick your finger in Russia’s eye, among other policy stances.
Anyone else have examples?
— Binding treaties executed as treaties vs. casual cool-kid agreements. Lookin at you, Paris accords. Trans-Pacific Partnership. Etc.
— Renegotiated trade partner agreements that just work better. Lookin at you, NAFTA-II.
— “Pulling out” of “deals” the other side is violating. Extends to not shipping pallets of cash to a regime funding destabilization ops across their region, developing nukes the deal said they wouldn’t, and flogging women for letting their hair down
— Helping obnoxious warring factions find their common ground in terms we used to call “civilized behavior.” Like trade more, shoot less. Lookin at you, Abraham Accords.
— Making every President for the last couple generations honest, by moving the embassy to Jerusalem like they had promised. Honest about that, anyway.
— Offering our European friends some natural gas alternatives: ours doesn’t ship with tank shot — the flying, already fired kind.
— Water faucets that work, to, you know, deliver water. Find the clip of that speech. Hilarious.
I was surprised beyond measure at the policy choices of The Orange Crush in office. I have come to understand that if your apparatus in place is entirely destructive, someone who simply does anything but what they want has to be better, every time.
Also, hilarious mean tweets are hilarious.
The Democratic Party no longer is. The danger to ‘our Democracy’ is them. Actual remaining Democrats in the party have little room to go. Either they fill out the roster in the House or Senate and keep their mouths shut, or they wash themselves off real good and become Republicans. This third party does them no good except as a protest vote. .
I think you are correct.
I used to think that the Democratic Party was not “democratic” until I realized that it perfectly embodies the deep flaws in democratic rule, which were well known by the ancients, and which caused the Founders to craft our government as a republic.
The Democratic Party is well named as the enemy of our form of government. The Republican Party is also well named – it’s just not very effective.
“TOGETHER WE CAN!”
Wars come every so often and a country has to pull together if they are going to win the war. Suppose for example, our next war is with Mexico— with 20 million illegals living in the country we would be in deep shit.
At least 40 million at least
“and, of course, the Jan. 6, 2021, coup attempt.”
The chutzpah of these turds …
the same coup that was enabled and encouraged by undercover government actors?
Imagine what legitimate 3rd and 4th political parties might do to the Electoral College.
Democrats need something to fear or they would lose part of their purpose. How sad for them.
Elections would go to the House more often, as the Founders envisioned.
This casual remark bothered me a bit:
“corruption on our nation’s highest court…”
What did the Supreme Court do that I missed?
The Court hath committed sin against a sacred ritual of the D party and its enablers.
Yes — one of its conservative members appears to have accepted expensive gifts in a way entirely reserved to ten-percenter D politicians, and — the most heinous sin of all — did it perfectly legally.
This looks like an opportunity for Republican donor conduits to raise the same sort of havoc that Democrats boasted of when they funded “extreme” but beatable MAGA candidates in Republican primaries.
Too bad it’s almost impossible to persuade Republican donor conduits to donate to Republicans, never mind third parties.
I’m more worried about the ultra far left fascist democrat party cheating on the voting again.
The ultra far left fascists are a threat to our republic. The ultra far left fascists are a sick bunch ramming their perverted agenda down the throats of Americans.
These ultra far left fascists need to be voted out in such stunning numbers that all thoughts of cheating are wiped from their perverted minds.
“ultra far left fascist democrat”
Just say Democrat.
When Democrats and “progressives” talk about democracy they mean retaining power for themselves by whatever means
They stopped being Democrats long ago.
A one party state isn’t any more democratic than the People’s Republic of North Korea
The DOJ and IRS should round up this No Labels fringe
group that is attacking democracy and detain them without bail until sometime after Nov 2024. I bet that they engage in all sorts of violent conspiratorial communications. Show them how courageous Dems protect our fragile democracy!
They could. No Labels is registered as a “nonprofit”, not as a political party.
I sincerely hope Joe Manchin runs under the No Labels banner in 2024. Joe Biden and Chucko double crossed him, and they deserve it. However, I don’t fall into the delusion that this would be a wonderful thing for Trump (or whomever we nominate). A (D) spoiler helps us, but Manchin will not be playing to be a spoiler. He will be playing to win, and the path for him is to win enough States to throw the election into the House, and to run enough House candidates in states where the delegations are closely divided to tie them up and force a compromise when the House elects a President.
Manchin is no Perot
No, they’ve been saying they believe in “our democracy”, meaning “the democracy we the Democrats totally control”.