PORTLAND, Maine — Every crystal ball that purports to offer a clear picture of Election Day turns out to have cracks in it, but there are endless questions about what will happen when voters go to the polls in November. One of many puzzles is what role the political organization No Labels may end up playing.
No Labels has been around for 13 years, initially as a group that set out to influence policy. "America can’t solve its biggest problems and deliver the results hardworking taxpayers want, need, and deserve," the No Labels website says, "unless Democrats and Republicans start working together side by side on commonsense solutions."
Holly Page, who helped found No Labels, recently visited Maine, one of more than a dozen states where No Labels has succeeded in gaining access to the November ballot. That access raises the question of whether No Labels is morphing into a political party.
"We are not a third political party," Page said. "We will not run candidates on any other level of government besides potentially offering our ballot line to a presidential choice."
With Election Day nine months away, some names have been put forward as potential No Labels presidential candidates, notably West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin. Yet, Manchin has refused to enter the race, and it’s not clear who else might.
Part of the problem for No Labels is unless it can gain ballot access in all 50 states—a tall order indeed—any candidate it fields will be more of a symbol than a legitimate contender.
"If we do offer our ballot [access], we only want to do so if we can win," Page said.
History does not offer much encouragement to No Labels. Asked to name a single winning presidential candidate in the last 150 years who ran as the nominee of a third party, Page answered the question with a question.
"Name for me the times that Americans have had to choose between Geritol and vitriol," she said. "This is unprecedented times, and the American people are clearly saying they do not want a rematch. They want a third choice."