(UnitedVoice.com) – In 2016, more than 7 million Americans cast their ballots for someone other than Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton. Pennsylvania was known as one of the states that created the so-called “blue wall.” Democratic presidential candidates won it in 2004, 2008, and 2012. In 2016, Trump won the state by 44,000 votes. Meanwhile, third-party candidates won 268,000 votes, up from 83,000 votes in the previous presidential election. Wisconsin was also a state the Left thought was safe, but its election played out the same way, and ultimately, Clinton lost.
In 2020, third-party candidates played as large a role, and Democrats won both the states and the White House. Democratic pundits are very nervous about a repeat of 2016 in the next election. There’s a lot of talk that Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) might be the man who sinks his party.
No Labels
The No Labels Party has been pouring millions of dollars into getting on the ballots of key swing states. Manchin was an honorary co-chair of the organization and has been floated as a possible candidate for the 2024 election under the No Labels banner. There’s been talk of putting forward a unity ticket that includes a member of the Right and a member of the Left.
Manchin is one of the headliners at the No Labels town hall events at St. Anselm College on July 17. The “Common Sense” town hall will also feature former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman (R).
Manchin’s Statements
On Wednesday, July 12, Manchin appeared on CNN, where he said the town hall didn’t have anything to do with a third-party run. He noted that it wasn’t “bringing up any office at all,” but is “about a dialogue for common sense” instead. The senator said No Labels is going around the US to talk to people who want a “commonality and common sense approach to how [America fixes] problems.”
During the interview, Manchin refused to discuss whether a third-party nominee would hurt Biden’s chances of winning reelection. Instead, he said that the most important issue people should be concerned about is how they can “help democracy.” Additionally, he said there should be “common sense discussions” about what Americans want “to see accomplished.”
The moderate Democrat has blocked a number of Biden’s policies and nominees since he took office. He’s up for reelection in the Senate, but he has not announced whether he intends to run for his seat again. He has also repeatedly refused to rule out a third-party run for president. If he chooses to run, he could sink the Democratic Party’s 2024 White House ship.
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