Today, The Dispatch exposed the dysfunction and disconnect from voters stemming from No Labels’ attempts to play spoiler in the 2024 presidential election.
“No Labels is gaining no support because nobody wants a presidential ticket that refuses to play by the rules of democracy,” said Tiffany Muller, President of End Citizens United // Let America Vote. “Every time No Labels moves their own goal posts to further centralize decision making to the backrooms, it becomes more and more clear that this is all a corrupt grift with a real threat of electing Donald Trump.”
The Dispatch: No Labels Rethinking Strategy Amid Stumbles
David Drucker
12/15/23
Key Points:
-
Earlier this year, No Labels made waves when it signaled it would seek to nominate an independent presidential candidate in 2024 who could face off against President Joe Biden and Republican frontrunner Donald Trump. But the nonpartisan organization has pumped the brakes on elements of its effort in recent months, with top officials reassessing their strategy for selecting and nominating candidates.
-
But these sources also acknowledge the group has been forced to backtrack on—or at least delay—key components of an ambitious plan intended to pave the way toward nominating a 2024 White House slate.
-
Sources blame the hiccups on fresh resistance from inside No Labels to previously agreed upon steps the group was to take toward potential candidate nominations—plus disorganization and unforeseen logistical challenges.
-
Two weeks ago, No Labels canceled its in-person nominating convention scheduled for mid-April in Dallas, opting instead for a virtual gathering.
-
Last month’s announcement wasn’t the first time No Labels has backed away from a previous commitment. Indeed, No Labels chief strategist Ryan Clancy said just after Labor Day the group was working to establish ground rules for choosing nominees and would make them public sometime in October. “We really wanted to prioritize this selection aspect of this,” Clancy told The Dispatch in early September. October came and went, as did November and half of December, with no update on this process from No Labels.
-
And three months after that, candidate vetting still remains on hold as No Labels endeavors to lure high-profile candidates capable of coalescing broad voter support and winning a national election against the two major political parties.
-
“There’s more of a demand and more of an opportunity for this idea than ever before. However, I think the organization has had some stumbles,” a second knowledgeable source said. “They haven’t been quite ready for prime time. It’s moving too fast—too quickly—and they weren’t prepared.
-
An aspect of No Labels planning that has continued apace is the group’s $70 million effort to secure a presidential ballot line in every state—34 by its count—in which the law allows for it. As of this week, the group has secured ballot lines in 12 states, with Clancy saying that by New Year’s Eve, No Labels will be actively taking steps to earn ballot lines in an additional 15 states.
-
Still, No Labels’ candidate recruitment is not without its challenges.
-
The organization is targeting people of prominence—in business, in politics, and with military backgrounds—and asking them to trust an untested strategy and run for president and vice president in a way that’s never been done before. Particularly among viable Democrats and Republicans the group is eyeing—including some currently running for president—there is a reluctance to risk future career prospects.
- Wooing potential candidates has been made doubly difficult by two additional factors: No Labels has yet to secure ballot lines in all states where doing so is lawfully permitted due in part to various lawsuits, and the group might ultimately opt against elevating a White House ticket at all, should Biden, Trump, or both, not lead their parties into the general election.
###