By Aswad Walker
With the 2024 presidential election being billed by some as “democracy’s last stand,” many who see GOP efforts to overthrow the 2022 election (election deniers; Jan 6 insurrectionists, and MAGA big lie believers) as an existential threat to the survival of America as we know it. This includes Democrats and a block of “Never Trump” Republicans.
And members of those two groups (Democrats and Never Trumpers) are not happy about the emergence of No Labels, a third political party. They see a Democratic victory in 2024, whether that be a Biden re-election or the election of some other Democrat as the only way to stop the plans of Project 2025 which seeks to end nearly all checks and balances on the Executive Branch of the government (president), thus creating a king or dictator with nearly absolute power and authority over military, spending, investigations, etc.
No Party’s stated goal is to end DC political gridlock and restore bipartisanship where members of the nation’s two major parties were able to debate, compromise and create consensus legislation for the good of the country. According to their website, “We are a national movement of common sense Americans pushing our leaders together to solve our county’s biggest problems.”
Those skeptical of No Labels see it as an attempt to siphon off votes from the Democratic presidential candidate, thus clearing the way for a Republican victory in 2024.
“No Labels is not a pro-Trump spoiler and No Labels is not an anti-Biden group,” Dr. Ben Chavis, one of No Label’s four national co-chairs, told Joy-Ann Reid while a guest on her MSNBC show The Reidout. “Most Americans do not want to see a repeat of the 2020 election. So, what No Labels is doing at the grassroots level is trying to get ballot access in all 50 states, including the District of Columbia… Right now, No Labels doesn’t have any candidate. We’re not running anybody for office. What we’re trying to do is get in place in case we need to next year.”
Still, skeptics of No Labels’ intentions note the party is made up almost entirely of Republicans—many of whom were hyper-critical of President Barack Obama and voted consistently to block his agenda while also echoing claims that Obama wasn’t born in America, lied about his faith affiliation and worked in partnership with terrorists against American interests.
Chavis, who has been part of progressive movements for decades and was the principal organizer of the Million Man March, is the lone progressive that is part of the No Labels leadership.
Rumors around DC have No Labels potentially endorsing Florida Governor Ron DeSantis or West Virginia U.S. Senator Joe Manchin, a Democrat who often votes with Republicans, as their choice for president in the 2024 election.
“I can tell we have not endorsed any candidate, Republican or Democrat,” said Chavis to Reid. “As far as No Labels supporting DeSantis, that’s incorrect.”
Chavis, who is also president of the National Newspaper Publishers Association, further stated, “No Labels would never support a candidate that bans books, burns books and prevents people from knowing true history. We are anti-discrimination in all of its forms. We’re also against voter suppression in all of its forms.”
Chavis added that he and members of No Labels believe “voter suppression” also includes their party not being allowed on ballots in all states.
“Voter suppression is also blocking equal access to the ballot, which we have run into in several states. In Arizona and Maine party officials on the Democratic side have tried to block No Labels from getting equal access to the ballot. That’s voter suppression,” said Chavis.
Dr. Michael O. Adams, director of the Master of Public Affairs Graduate Program at Texas Southern University’s Barbra Jordan-Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs, says the odds are stacked against third parties finding success in the U.S. political system.
“Third Parties in general, because of the rules, don’t fair so well,” said Adams.
He added No Labels is hoping America is open to a “unity ticket,” with a president/vice president tandem from different parties.
“We will not make a decision on any candidate until after Super Tuesday before the April 2024 [Republican Party] convention in Dallas. If we don’t see a clear pathway for a unity ticket, Democrat/Republican, Republican/Democrat, to win the Electoral College we stand down.”
