Staff Reports
Get ready for the latest attempt at a third-party presidential bid in 2024, folks! This time, it’s the No Labels organization making waves with its campaign-style event in New Hampshire, featuring none other than Democratic Senator Joe Manchin. Now, before you get too excited about a Manchin-Huntsman ticket, let’s not forget that it’s still too early to tell. But the fact that we’re even considering it speaks volumes about the unpopularity of Joe Biden and Donald Trump. And let’s be honest, who wouldn’t want a ticket that represents “common sense”? It’s refreshing to see politicians trying to bridge the divide and get things done.
Will Joe Manchin's New Hampshire Trip Leave Dems 'Shivering'? https://t.co/Zt2eEFnqWX
— Isaiah McFarland (@perfectpeace) July 19, 2023
But hold your horses, Democrats! Before you sway too far to the side of bipartisanship, remember that Joe Manchin has a knack for bucking his own party and scaling back their legislative agenda. And that’s got some national Democrats worried. They fear that if Manchin or another prominent Democrat joins a third-party ticket, it could siphon votes from Biden and lower the threshold Trump needs to win again. We saw in 2016 that Trump managed to capture key swing states with just 47% to 48% of the vote. We can’t let history repeat itself!
No Labels may be onto something with their platform that splits the difference between Democrat and Republican positions on key issues. They want tighter border controls, a reform of asylum procedures, a path to citizenship for Dreamers, and a right to bear arms while keeping weapons out of the hands of dangerous people. It sounds like a reasonable approach, but let’s not forget that these solutions have been tried before and haven’t made it into law.
Sure, talk of third-party candidates always gets people excited, but let’s be realistic here. We’re still over a year away from the election, and independent and third-party candidates tend to fade as we get closer to the big day. Remember Gary Johnson in 2016? He started strong in the polls but ended up with just 3% of the vote. The same could happen to No Labels.
And let’s not overlook the fact that Biden’s popularity is waning. It’s clear that he’ll need to win over voters who don’t particularly like him in order to secure a second term. The same goes for Trump, whose favorable ratings have never been stellar. The national polls are showing that when a third-party or independent candidate is included, Biden loses ground to Trump. A shift of just 1 to 3 points could change the whole electoral outcome.
So, while the idea of a third-party candidacy may be tantalizing, we need to approach it with caution. No Labels may claim to represent a new era of bipartisan problem-solving, but the reality is that they’re still politicians and operatives. And let’s face it, third-party candidacies rarely succeed. So, enjoy the town hall events and interesting conversations, but don’t get your hopes up too high. Stick with the two major parties for now, because as messy as they may be, they’re still the best shot we’ve got at making a difference.
