With the 2024 election looming, neo-con Republicans and establishment Democrats are weighing in on providing a centrist alternative for America. It won’t be easy!
Historically, third parties haven’t done too well in American general election races. The most successful attempt came in 1968. George Wallace achieved the highest success winning five states and 46 electoral college votes. Ross Perot scored no state wins in 1992. He did pull 19% of the total vote; siphoning enough Republican votes from George H.W. Bush to elect Democrat, Bill Clinton as a plurality president. John Anderson’s 1980 effort represented the most liberal wing of the GOP, which opposed the nominee, Ronald Reagan.
Some High-Profile Supporters
Michael Bloomberg and Andrew Tisch were on board from the start. They joined Democrat fundraiser, Nancy Jacobson who is credited with the No Labels original launch in 2010. Their goal was to “develop and support bi-partisan solutions.”
No Labels, the quixotic and billionaire-friendly third-party group looking to field a centrist 2024 presidential candidate, is a source of great intrigue in town. Part of the curiosity, as previously reported, derives from their recent meetings with Dem-G.O.P. hybrids, such as Joe Manchin, Larry Hogan, and Susan Collins.
Part of it comes from the organic curiosity and concern about whether there is room in American politics for a third party, and whether a modern-day Ross Perot would just facilitate a plurality victory for Trump. And, sure, some people worry about the optics of guys like Steve Schwarzman and a group of enigmatic billionaires having an outsized role in selecting the leader of the free world.
Improbable Run in 2024 Election Makes Sense for Manchin
While Manchin has made nothing close to an announcement, a third-party run for President makes a lot of sense. Should he seek re-election to the Senate, his likely opponent will be popular Governor Jim Justice. A lot of former supporters in West Virginia feel that Manchin got “hoodwinked” by Senate Majority Leader, Chuck Schumer.
Schumer craftily coerced Manchin’s vote for Biden’s Green Energy bill, legislation that is considered detrimental to the Mountaineer State. A trouncing by Justice would be a dubious ending to Manchin’s illustrious political career which included a governorship and three terms in the United States Senate.
Manchin has wielded impressive power in the Democrat party. He has often held up Democrat legislation, especially leftist wish list items, such as court packing and eliminating the filibuster. His solidarity has won the respect of millions of independent voters nationwide.
The ideal No Label ticket could feature Manchin, joined by former Maryland Governor, Larry Hogan. Hogan, a Republican has been a stalwart friend and ally of both Maine’s Susan Collins, another centrist Republican, and former Florida Governor/Congressman, Charlie Crist.
No Current Bridge for the Moderates
At the conclusion of Colorado’s recent legislative session, House Republicans facing a 55-19 Democrat majority felt that Dems were more focused on ideology than practical issues that impact Colorado families. In frustration, many walked out of the final session in protest.
This is not an atypical reaction. There is a growing consensus that there is no middle ground politically in America. As a result, millions are welcoming alternative options.
A recent NBC News poll confirmed this consensus: Hardly anyone is yearning for this rematch. A whopping 70% of Americans don’t want Biden to run, including 51% of Democrats. Almost as many, 60%, don’t want Trump to run, including about a third of Republicans.
In 2016, Trump pledged “to be a break from the stale version of conservatism that had previously dominated the GOP,” Jacobson, wrote last year. Likewise, in 2020, Biden vowed: “to steer Democrats away from their activist base toward unity.”
As it turned out, Trump unveiled a masterpiece of positioning. He first aligned a brand of conservative populism with Rand Paul’s libertarianism and Mike Huckabee’s evangelical followers. He then departed from the modern-day Republican principle of “free trading” and introduced protectionist legislation to job-starved Americans.
Conversely, Joe Biden took a hard left in advancing what many consider the most progressive policies in U.S. history. Most Democrats admit that they were expecting something closer to Joe Manchin than Bernie Sanders.
Are There Alternatives?
“Never Trumper” Republicans certainly hope so! Many represent the “donor class” and are anxiously courting Florida Governor, Ron DeSantis as an alternative to Trump, describing DeSantis as “Trump without the baggage.” It remains to be seen if DeSantis will take the bait. Whether he wins or loses, it seems likely that he will be bruised, possibly beyond recognition. From the outset, Trump reminded voters that DeSantis’ Congressional votes fell in lock step with then-House Speaker Paul Ryan’s budget initiatives. These included cuts to Social Security and Medicare. There were also implied links to the Koch Brothers and other Neo-Cons who composed the “donor class.” It is predictable that by the end of the campaign, Trump would have successfully rebranded the 44-year-old DeSantis into something reminiscent of Mitt Romney.
Biden’s problem is age. Yet the Democrats have few options.
Jacobson’s big idea is to put a new party on the ballot and nominate a bipartisan ticket chosen from the center, such as Sen. Joe Manchin, a West Virginia Democrat, and former Gov. Larry Hogan, a Maryland Republican — both of whom have talked with No Labels and haven’t ruled out running.
Jacobson, who once worked for Bill Clinton and Al Gore, says she hopes to raise $70 million and get a ticket on the ballot in all 50 states. No Labels has already qualified as a party in Arizona, Colorado, Oregon, and Alaska.
