These are dangerous times for America and the world. I’d like to call your attention to three recent developments.
First, amid rising security threats and pure evil abroad, extremes in both parties are pushing America’s continued withdrawal from leading the world.
One might think Hamas’ gruesome attack last month would lead all Americans to rally around Israel. While the commonsense majority is indeed supportive of Israel, both party extremes are urging America to withhold support, though for different reasons.
There is danger in this shift. For one, a lack of moral clarity against evil compromises who we are as a nation. Further, there are real and urgent security risks if conflicts continue to spread throughout volatile regions, especially when powers like China, Iran and Russia seek to fill the void we leave behind.
Second, the past two weeks have not been encouraging for people like me who are fighting to end Donald Trump’s grip on the Republican Party.
Trump continues to hold four times the support of the next closest candidate, Ron DeSantis, despite a majority of voters viewing Trump unfavorably.
Third, heading into 2024, we’re sitting on a powder keg of extremism, with significant concerns about political violence.
By now, you’ve likely heard of the University of Virginia poll showing that approximately 40 percent of Biden and Trump supporters believe that the other side is so extreme that it is acceptable to use violence to stop them. It also found that 31 percent of Trump supporters and 24 percent of Biden supporters believe democracy is “no longer viable” and an alternative system should be tried.
This clarifies the stakes of next year. As we approach election year, the threat of a rematch between Trump and Biden isn’t just ominous because it would disappoint exhausted and disaffected Americans; it’s ominous because it risks bringing an escalation of the violence and unrest that characterized 2020.
<<America faces a dangerous moment. No Labels is working to halt and reverse America's descent into partisan extremism by getting on the ballot for the 2024 presidential election. Click here to donate $10 or as much as you can to support another choice for president in 2024.>>
So, what do we do about these challenges?
Americans must have an escape hatch out of the extremism next year, and it’s unlikely that anyone else can provide it.
While the media is focused on third-party bids from Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Cornell West, it is ignoring the fact that both candidates face long and unlikely paths to securing ballot access. No Labels has been doing the work for many months, and it’s paying off. I’ve even heard from former critics who now say they’re grateful we’re here.
Our work grows more important by the day. It isn’t about winning for the sake of winning, and it isn’t about proving the critics wrong. It’s about halting and reversing America’s descent into partisan extremism. It’s about reclaiming the principles and beliefs that bind Americans together. We can't do it without your support - please click here and consider a contribution of $10 or as much as you can to support the work of No Labels as we move into 2024.
Thank you for being a part of our movement.
Sincerely,
Larry Hogan
National Co-Chairman
I would commit to supporting the NLP if the following was deeply embedded in your plateform:
1. Term Limits for all legislators
2. publicly funded campaigns or at the very least, a hard cap on campaign funding
3. serious controls and regulations on Lobbyists.
The rise of extremism has been years in the making by the two-party system. The belief and consequent teaching to their membership, that collaboration and moderation are compromising to their values; has led to where we are today. Sprinkle in some fear and a lack of a balanced media and we have the crisis we are in today. As an elected official on the local level, the partisan extremism is trickling down to the municipal levels as well. The answer is in the collective rebuking of these extreme elements on both sides with a rational and common sense alternative. It will take time to build, but I think many Americans are ready for an alternative to the status quo. A status quo which leaves everyone behind except for the extremists and those who make money off them.
We need to have a Vice President that does the job, and a President that allows the Vice President to do their job. There is a reason why the Vice President is the president of the Senate and has an office in the capital, as well as the White House. The Vice president should be having regular meetings with Speaker of the House, Majority and Minority leaders of both the House and the Senate. The Vice President is to communicate the desires of the President to Congress. To work with these other leaders to find out what the Minority will support and what the Majority desires find the starting point and get the proposals to the correct committees and discussion in both the House and Senate. In committee and discussion the proposal and request may become more conservative or more libral, but there is a common starting point. The Vice President also takes ideas that are starting in Congress to the President for Preidential input and knowledge. When needed cordinate meetings with these leaders and the President. The Majority and Minority leaders are also responcible for communication with the rest of the party cacus in both directions and getting proposals into committess both in the House and the Senate. The job of Vice President is much like that of an Executive Officer. It is the job of the Vice President to ensure that we have a government that functions and not the chaos that we currently have
We need to have a Vice President that does their job. Permitted to do the job by the President. There is a reason why the Vice President is the President of the Senate and is not only in the White House. The Vice President needs to take the desires of the President to the Legislature. The Vice President should have regular meetings with the Speaker of the House, Senate Majority Minority leaders, House Majority and Minority leaders and discuss what the Presidents desires are. Find what Majority and Minority agree with so there is a multipartison for discusions in the Senate and House to move more conservative or libral from. Also to take ideas that are in the House and Senate to the President so the President is awear of them and can make ccomment to them. This would ensure that we have a functional government. Yes the leaders are also responcable to bring things to cacus and respective committees and to receive information from committees and cacus
My opinion only, we should have more televised debates and on social media between the extremes with the rule that the debate must present solutions and compromises. We must believe that neither side has the answer to all things and that compromise is required.
Extremism is very dangerous. When I think of extreme positions, I see someone who has one point of view and refuses to consider any factual information that conflicts with it ... and in today's environment it often means hatred for the 'other' viewpoint or bigotry learned over time from another generation, indoctrination by others, and ignorance.
I don't know how to fight it, except to participate in meaningful discussions with people who share your views AND people who do not. There are plenty of information resources to arm oneself with to fight religious, racial, or other socio-economic extremism.
While America has always had a small number of extreme zealots over our (almost) 250 year history, the majority (us) have always won out in the end. Let's keep it that way by our participation.
If The presidential election comes down to Trump vs. Biden again, America is on the downhill slide.
Thank you No Labels for giving America a real choice to help rid us of extremes.
A third party civilizes the two other parties because if the two other parties are taking votes by being negative those votes will rather flow to the third party than the other negative party as long as the third party is not extreme.
John Anderson's gas tax and Ross Perot's jumping out and in made third-party efforts seem artificially weak.
A consistent and positive moderate party will seem like grown-ups compared to what we have now.
It would be pleasant to get back to the civilized wrangling of Bob Dole and Tip O'Niel.
The comment about "ending Trump's grip on the Republican party", created an opportunity for me to self reflect. It was close to 20 years ago that I began feeling disenchanted with the Republican party that I had felt affiliated with for most of my adult life. Though I believed in many of the conservative principles, I also held great space in my heart for the empathetic nature of what I saw in my Democratic friends. I realized then, that I was conservative in my head (fiscally, morally, personally, logically), but that my heart was liberal (full of charity and compassion for others). And, I began to realize that no matter what either party said, they were BOTH "big government". They BOTH pointed the finger at the other, filling the media with accusations and downright lies.
No Labels offers an alternative, but we must be careful that we don't approach it with the attitude of "beating Trump" or "beating Biden". The media would have us head into another election cycle screaming, yelling, hating, fighting. Let us rise above the media and calmly, courageously, honestly unite in all the great things we stand FOR. Unity and common ground can bridge gaps and heal hearts. Get curious about what you have in common with your neighbors and community......talk about THAT, unite in THAT....and it will become a natural and kind way to share No Labels.
I may not be able to end Trump's grip on the Republican party, but I can release my grip on whichever party I have clung to.
Larry Hogan made very valid points. I hope the momentum No Labels was gaining doesn't diminish and that running a No Labels campaign will still be viable. Sorry, not trying to be a nay-sayer but I sometimes fear that current devisiveness, polarization, blurring good vs evil and yes, dare I say fear for our future democracy might be sending some on the fence into silence and resignation. Strong leaders need to lead the way and give us hope for a bright future. I believe that the "voice(s) to speak for No Labels" in loud unambiguous words with wide reach has to become mainstream, on legacy media, social media and in our communities if it is to survive. I say this now, because even I am becoming disheartened with what I see happening in the last few weeks and worry if it can still be turned around. No Labels, please don't let us down.
I am not interested in Cornell West or Kennedy or Biden, or Trump. We need alternatives in this dangerous time.