Sen. Joe Manchin (DW.Va.) took his flirtation with a third-party presidential nomination to the streets on Monday by speaking at a New Hampshire town hall hosted by No Labels, the political organization promoting a bipartisan Ticket will be used in 2024.
Manchin appeared alongside former Republican Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, arguing that the two major political parties were too divisive and that they had failed to serve Americans. But the conservative Democrat kept dodging questions about his potential entry into the 2024 race.
“Let’s see what happens; it’s too early,” Manchin said. “When I get into the race, it’s about winning.”
“I’m not here tonight to run for President. I’m basically here to try to save the nation,” the senator added.
However, many Democrats fear that a third-party presidential nominee would do the opposite, as they would deprive President Joe Biden of votes and bolster Donald Trump, the front runner in the Republican Party presidential race. youngest Opinion poll suggests that a Manchin candidacy would attract voters from both parties, but would attract more undecided voters in the race with Trump and Biden.
No Labels officials say they will present actual candidates for president and vice president by Super Tuesday in March 2024, by which time it is clear that the two respective major party candidates are Trump and Biden and that they are interested in a third option.
“Hopefully, shaping the agenda by then will change things,” said former North Carolina Republican Gov. Pat McCrory, a co-chairman of No Labels, said Monday. “But if nothing changes and we participate in the election, we will field no-label candidates for president and vice president — but only if we see a chance of winning.”
No Labels encourages cross-party collaboration, but the actual ideology is vague. The group introduced a new policy platform about the weekend, which is full of platitudes and without many details. His main issues include GOP favorites like entitlement rights reform and tackling the national debt.
The group has secured ballot access in several states, including Alaska, Oregon, Colorado and Arizona, and efforts are underway for additional states. It is registered as a non-profit organization and does not disclose its donors, although it says it has raised tens of millions of dollars for this effort.
When asked by a reporter at City Hall Monday why No Labels is not disclosing its donors, Manchin tried to turn the tables by pointing out that both Democrats and Republicans have benefited from black money. That’s true, but both major parties are required to disclose the names of their financiers.
“I think the Democratic and Republican parties should be transparent,” Manchin said, adding that Congress should pass legislation overturning the Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling that paved the way for the rise of super PACs and other forms of political spending.
Manchin’s fellow Democrats are wary of his flirtation with a third party. Many would prefer him to run for re-election in West Virginia, a Red state where Trump is popular and where Manchin offers the best chance for Democrats to defend a seat in the 51-49 Democratic-controlled Senate.
Senator Mark Kelly (Democrat of Arizona) said Sunday on CNN that he does not consider No Labels a political party.
“I mean, that’s a bunch of people pouring dark money into an organization. It shouldn’t be about a few rich people. So naturally I’m concerned about what’s going on here in Arizona and across the country,” Kelly said during an interview with State of the Union.