No Labels: What Part of No Don’t You Understand?

WASHINGTON—Third Way Executive VP Matt Bennett issued the following statement following No Labels’ vote to move forward with a third-party presidential bid, even as they admit they don’t have a candidate and might not find one:

What part of “no” is so hard to understand? Time and again, voters, candidates, and election experts have told No Labels that a third-party presidential ticket can’t win and would help Trump.

Voters Say No: In our new polling, the No Labels ticket comes in a distant and miserable fourth, even when we tested someone at the top of their ticket as well-known and respected as Nikki Haley.

Top Recruits Say No: Don’t take our word for it. Even No Labels’ top recruits, all of whom have passed on joining this third-party effort, have said they won’t do it because it’s destined to fail and would only help Trump.

• Manchin: Manchin is convinced No Labels will be a spoiler: ““[I]t is going to basically work as a spoiler.” “Right now, if you can’t get on 50 states and you’re going to basically hit in some of the battleground states that could be very detrimental to what the outcome would be, yes,” Manchin said when asked if No Labels is “set up” as a “spoiler” currently.” [The Hill]
• Haley: Nikki Haley said a bipartisan ticket won't be able to govern: ““I’m a Republican. If I were to do No Labels, that would require a Democrat. I can’t do what I wanted to express with the Democrats.”” [NBC News]
• Hogan: Larry Hogan stepped down from No Labels out of frustration: “Larry Hogan, the Republican former governor of Maryland, quit the No Labels board last month over frustration that power and information were being hoarded by group leadership – and not to, as reported elsewhere, clear the way for a presidential run of his own. “It’s been far less organized than he expected it to be” and “he doesn’t see a plan coming together,” a person familiar with Hogan’s thinking told CNN. “You don’t know where this train is going, and you’re signing up for something you didn’t necessarily sign up for.”” [CNN]
• Sinema: After announcing her retirement from the Senate, Kyrsten Sinema couldn’t say no fast enough: “Kyrsten Sinema will NOT run on the No Labels ticket. “I’m not running for president,” she told me—a phrase she’s used multiple times before since becoming an independent—and insisted to me she isn’t going to change her mind.” [Bloomberg]

Election Experts Say No: Protect Democracy has argued that the worst possible outcome of a No Labels third-party ticket is sending the election to the House for a contingent election.

But ONE person is saying “yes” to a No Labels bid. It isn’t hard to figure out why:

No Labels has made it clear they’re going to move forward with this terrible idea, though their CEO has admitted the effort cannot win. We urge any other candidates they approach to think long and hard about the impact this effort will have on their personal legacy and what it could do to American democracy. If No Labels asks you to join their ticket, join everyone else in saying “no.”