I’m a lifelong Reagan Republican who desperately wants to restore commonsense conservative leadership to the White House, but I’m also part of the more than 60% of Americans who believe that the country cannot afford a Trump vs. Biden rematch in 2024.
Unfortunately, at this moment, that appears to be the most likely outcome. And when three-quarters of Americans say the country is on the wrong track and many disapprove of their leaders in Washington, D.C., more of the same is an unsustainable position for our country to sustain.
The nonpartisan citizens group No Labels is working on a “break glass in case of emergency” plan for 2024 that involves adding a third option on the presidential ballot in all 50 states, which will only be used if a majority of voters are dissatisfied with the two major party nominees. In that case, No Labels would give its ballot line to a unity ticket featuring a Republican and a Democrat willing to put the country first by running together.
Fear tactics and baseless smears against No Labels
While most Americans would welcome better options, our plan has triggered panic from political elites in Washington. The same people who present themselves as champions of democracy have been meeting behind closed doors to plot decidedly anti-democratic attacks against No Labels.
They are pulling every trick in the book to try to kick No Labels off the ballot, spending millions on frivolous lawsuits, fear tactics and baseless smears.
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Why are these groups so desperate to stop No Labels?
It’s because they benefit the most from the broken status quo. Groups such as the Lincoln Project raise millions of dollars from the rage industrial complex against Donald Trump. In the 2022 election, Democratic groups in Washington spent millions propping up election deniers in states across the country, including in my state of Maryland.
The extremes feed off each other, allowing both parties to ignore the voices of the exhausted majority. This is exactly why so many Americans are fed up with Washington.
People of goodwill can disagree about whether No Labels’ approach is the right one, but the hypocritical campaign to deny voters choice and access to votes will inevitably backfire.
Support best policies to help Americans regardless of political party
However, there is a clear path for these Washington insiders to avoid a third-party challenge. Instead of engaging in a race to the bottom with their political opponents, they should try a novel idea: Start taking the concerns of the American people seriously.
No Labels recently released “Common Sense,” a booklet that features 30 ideas that a majority of Americans across the political spectrum support. You don’t need to agree with every idea to recognize that this is a road map to restore the faith of the American people. Republican and Democratic leaders would be wise to draw from it.
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The booklet is based on the same idea that guided my eight years as governor of Maryland – that we should advance the best policies regardless of which party they come from. We must hold violent criminals accountable while addressing the root causes of crime. We can secure the border and fix our immigration system. We need an all-of-the-above energy policy to lower prices for consumers.
Let’s expand economic opportunity for every American by making sure no child is forced to attend a failing school, lowering the cost of housing, giving small businesses the resources they need to grow and helping veterans find employment.
It also breaks from both parties where Washington has been grossly irresponsible. For example, the booklet focuses on finally getting our fiscal house in order and proposes that members of Congress should not get paid unless they do their jobs to pass a budget.
The truth is there is more that unites us as Americans than that which divides us. It’s time to put aside all the political nonsense and start solving our biggest challenges and healing our country.
This might be terrifying to some in Washington, but – to most Americans – it’s just common sense.
Larry Hogan is a former governor of Maryland and a national co-chair of No Labels.
