(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) The No Labels political organization has ceased its long-shot campaign to recruit a third-party candidate to challenge electoral prospects for President Joe Biden and Republican candidate Donald Trump.
The group’s announcement came on Thursday, following refusals from several politicians, including failed GOP contenders Nikki Haley and Chris Christie.
Other individuals who declined No Labels’ offer were Sen. Joe Manchin, disgraced former Rep. Liz Cheney, Hollywood actor Dwayne Johnson (known as The Rock), and former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, who has chosen instead to run for the Senate.
“Americans remain more open to an independent presidential run and hungrier for unifying national leadership than ever before,” No Labels spokesperson Maryanne Martini claimed in a statement, according to several media outlets.
She further elaborated: “But No Labels has always said we would only offer our ballot line to a ticket if we could identify candidates with a credible path to winning the White House. No such candidates emerged, so the responsible course of action is for us to stand down.”
No Labels CEO and founder Nancy Jacobson reiterated echoed these remarks in an interview with the Wall Street Journal. She claimed that No Labels “would only offer our ballot line to a ticket if we could identify candidates with a credible path to winning the White House. No such candidates emerged, so the responsible course of action is for us to stand down.”
No Labels’ failed plot to present Americans with a so-called centrist alternative to both Trump and Biden was supported by a $70 million budget aimed at securing ballot access for a potential third candidate.
The Journal noted that the death of former Sen. Joe Lieberman, who served as the founding chairman of the political organization, had an impact on No Labels’ unsuccessful attempt to recruit a third-party candidate. The outlet reported that Lieberman was heavily involved in recruitment efforts.
The absence of a third-party candidate could play into Trump’s favor. Despite facing Democrat-led federal and state criminal charges, a civil lawsuit by a left-wing prosecutor and the leftist media hoaxes, the former president continues to lead in several swing state polls.
A Journal poll, published on Tuesday, showed Trump ahead of Biden in six out of seven swing states.
The lack of a No Label candidate leaves Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the most popular third-party candidate. He was initially perceived as a threat to Trump. However, his selection of Nicole Shanahan as his running mate could pose a danger to Biden rather than Trump.
Shanahan, an attorney with left-wing views on abortion and social justice, aligns closely with the incumbent president’s positions.
