They both worry about a third-party or third-party challenger: With the pending doom of a Biden-Trump rematch in 2024, many voters are feeling disheartened. Members of both sides of the aisle claim they would like to choose from candidates other than the two elders the RNC and DNC are putting forth, leaving them feeling as if no one is listening to those who are supposed to matter the most in a democracy – the electorate.
A Home for the Politically Homeless
An organization called No Labels asserts it’s all ears. The non-partisan, non-profit offers alternatives, highlighting leaders who, they state, are “willing to put their country before their party.”
Their big push is to offer a third-party substitute for the current highly polarized two-party system. They call it “Insurance Policy 2024.” While the group has not committed to nominating a third-party candidate, it claims it is “preparing for the possibility.”
According to a story in the Wall Street Journal, representatives for the group are waiting to see how the Democratic and GOP primaries shake out next spring and say they will bow out if either side nominates a “better nominee” than Donald Trump or Joe Biden.
No Labels wants to “ensure Americans have the choice to vote for a presidential ticket that features strong, effective, and honest leaders who will commit to working closely with both parties to find commonsense solutions to America’s biggest problems.”
Commonsense? Is that even a thing anymore?
If there’s one truth Ron DeSantis has espoused over the course of his campaign it’s that “commonsense has become an uncommon virtue.”
Criticisms of No Labels
Without a strong, unique stance on any issue both the right and left ignore (child trafficking, for example), and only compromise as their platform, it’s unlikely a No Labels candidate will rouse enough excitement to win an election.
Still, Democrats are quick to pile criticism on the centrist organization. They claim if a third-party candidate makes it onto the ticket in 2024, although a triumph is unlikely, it will pull votes from Joe Biden and make a Trump victory more likely.
Preventing a third party just because of the possibility your candidate will lose as a consequence of their entry doesn’t seem like a very democratic principle.
The No Labels website claims they are “gaining ballot access in states across America to lay the groundwork for a potential independent unity presidential ticket” although they don’t put forth options of who that might be.
The group’s polling shows the public is open to a third-party candidate—59 percent of all voters would consider a moderate independent, including 53 percent of Republicans and 59 percent of Democrats. No Labels is already on the ballot in five states and hopes to get on all 50.
The Other Champion of the Politically Homeless
No Labels isn’t the only organization or individual attempting to address and appeal to the politically homeless.
Although running as a Democrat, Robert Kennedy, Jr. is directing his message to the very same crowd of voters who see the upcoming race as less of a battle between the right and the left and more as a duel between the elite in Washington, D.C., the tech industry, and monolithic corporations like big pharma and, well, everyone else.
In this regard, RFK, Jr. goes a few steps further than Trump’s promise to “drain the swamp” surrounding the Potomac. He wants to drain the entire intellectual elite class.
In a campaign video on Instagram, RFK emphasized his petition to vagrant voters:
“In normal circumstances I would not do this. But these are not normal circumstances I’m watching my country being stolen from me.”
He continues:
“We’re going to take back this country. You give me a piece of ground and a sword and I am going to take back this country with your help – the help of all the homeless Republicans and Democrats and Independents who are Americans first.”
While his recent comments on the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down affirmative action are clearly aligned with more progressive views, Kennedy’s campaign rhetoric is more congruent with the likes of a Trump voter.
It seems No Labels and Kennedy both appeal to a large swath of voters, but unfortunately, the most recent polls aren’t reflecting those sentiments.
Kennedy trails behind Biden by more than he did when he first announced his candidacy about two and a half months ago, and Trump still leads the GOP field by anywhere between 34 and 44 points.
If nothing else, both No Labels and RFK, Jr. are demonstrating to the traditional parties that voters are fed up with their shenanigans and if those in power don’t do something about it, eventually, the people will.
Jennifer Galardi is the politics and culture editor for 19FortyFive.com. She has a Master’s in Public Policy from Pepperdine University and produces and hosts the podcast Connection with conversations that address health, culture, politics, and policy. In a previous life, she wrote for publications in the health, fitness, and nutrition space. In addition, her pieces have been published in the Epoch Times and Pepperdine Policy Review. You can follow her on Instagram and Twitter.
