Staff Reports
The nonpartisan No Labels organization is still on the hunt for a presidential candidate to represent their centrist values in the 2024 election, but it seems like they keep striking out. If they were a baseball team, they’d be racking up an impressive number of strikeouts without anyone making it to first base.
First up for consideration was good ol’ Sen. Joe Manchin, a Democrat from West Virginia. He talked big for a while, making it seem like he might just take the plunge and run with No Labels, but then all of a sudden, he pulled a 180 and said, “Nah, I’ll pass.” Classic political bait-and-switch, if you ask me.
Then there’s Sen. Mitt Romney, a Republican from Utah. He had everyone thinking he might just be the golden ticket for No Labels, especially after his public beef with both Biden and Trump. But despite some flattering comments from Manchin about being his potential running mate, Romney shut down those dreams real quick. He said, “I’m not the sidekick type and I’m definitely not running for president. Nice try, though!”
Next in line was former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. He took a swing at the 2024 Republican ticket, but when that didn’t go as planned, he had his sights set on No Labels. Unfortunately for Christie, the polls weren’t in his favor, and he knew when to fold ’em, saying, “Thanks for the support, folks, but if I can’t win, there’s no point in playing.”
Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley also got a shout-out for a possible No Labels run. She had a tough run against Trump and eventually dropped out, but when No Labels came knocking, she swiftly shut down any speculation, saying, “I bleed red, white, and blue Republican. No Labels isn’t my style, and that’s that!”
Lastly, former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan had folks thinking he might throw his hat in the ring for No Labels. He played coy for a while but then dashed those hopes by deciding to aim for Maryland’s Senate seat instead. Looks like No Labels will have to keep searching!
So, as No Labels continues to come up empty-handed in their search for a candidate, they’re left scratching their heads and trying to put a positive spin on things, saying, “Despite the setbacks, we’re thrilled that Gov. Hogan is doing his own thing. We’ll just keep on truckin’ and hope for the best!” But with so many high-profile names saying “thanks, but no thanks,” it’s starting to look like No Labels might just end up label-less in 2024.
