No Labels, the centrist group putting together a potential third-party presidential bid, finally earned Pelosi’s public ire on Thursday. The speaker emerita had harsh words for the group, which many worry will hand the 2024 election to the Republicans.
No Labels
No Labels is a nonprofit political organization founded in 2010 to support centrism and bipartisanship. It claims to represent and seek to promote a “commonsense majority.”
Some Labels?
“I hesitate to say No Labels,” Pelosi told reporters on Thursday, “because they do have labels. They’re called no taxes for the rich. No child tax credit for children. They’re called let’s undo the Affordable Care Act.”
Harsh words
“No Labels is perilous to our democracy,” Pelosi said. She spoke at an event organized by Third Way, a centrist Democrat group that opposes No Labels.
About time
This is the first time Pelosi has spoken out against No Labels. She previously ignored the group, even when it planned a primary challenge against her and created a plan to smear her as divisive and partisan during Trump’s presidency.
Forced hand
“When [No Labels] jeapordize[s] the reelection of Joe Biden as president of the United States,” Pelosi explained, “I can no longer remain silent.”
Spoiler force
Pelosi and Third Way’s main concern is that a No Labels third-party ticket could win enough electoral college votes to prevent either the Republican or Democrat candidate from winning a majority. In that situation, congressional delegations would select the next president, and Republicans control more of them than Democrats.
Republican asset
Because of this, Pelosi and other critics view No Labels as a boon to Republicans rather than the centrist force the group proclaims itself to be.
The justification
No Labels justifies its potential presidential ticket by pointing to the low favorability ratings of both Joe Biden and Donald Trump, the two most likely candidates. In a recent memo, the group claims there is an unprecedented desire among Americans for a third-party choice.
Enter the Kennedy
In fact, there already is a third-party, independent candidate with some popularity: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has explicitly promised to “spoil” the 2024 race, and a recent poll shows him notching an impressive 22% of the vote in a hypothetical three-way race against Biden and Trump.
Protest votes?
Jonathan Cowan, the president of Third Way, argued that early interest in candidates outside of either major party is often a way for Americans to express their unhappiness with the two-party system. He predicted that interest in these candidates, including Kennedy and No Labels, would decline as the presidential campaign gets properly underway.
Looking to win
Ryan Clancy, the chief strategist for No Labels, insists that the organization won’t enter the race as a spoiler. In an interview on CNN, he asserted that the group would only nominate a ticket it thought could win the presidential election outright.
Unlikely scenario
The prospect of a No Labels candidate outright defeating either of the major party’s candidates is extremely low. Proposed names have included Sen. Joe Manchin, one of the country’s most unpopular politicians.
The centrist problem
While No Labels aims to gain success by tapping into a supposed silent majority of centrists, the reality is that centrism often fails to gain much nationwide support. The compromises needed to create a truly centrist ticket alienate too much of the left and right for a so-called moderate to gain enough support to win an election outright.
No Labels debate
On Monday, Clancy debated Rahna Epting, the executive director of MoveOn Political Action. MoveOn is a progressive group.
Dark money
MoveOn has criticized No Labels for keeping its donors secret, which it can do because it is registered as a nonprofit. It has petitioned multiple secretaries of state to investigate No Labels, arguing the group shouldn’t be allowed to be on state ballots as a political party while keeping donors secret.
Dodgy backers
GOP megadonor Harlan Crow, who became infamous this year after multiple reports alleged the many expensive gifts he lavished on Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, is a backer of No Labels.
Shadowy business
“You can’t have your cake and eat it, too,” Epting said. “If No Labels wants to be taken seriously, they need to be disclosing their donors and having more transparency, so the voters of this country understand who is propping up this effort.”
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