Many events in history have united Americans, such as our founding in 1776, the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, and the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, to name a few.
Steve Martin
2024 is shaping up to be another such year. While America today is divided in many ways, we are also united in many ways.
60 to 70% of Americans do not want to see a Biden-Trump rematch in the presidential election, according to a NBC News Poll
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- 71% of Americans are dissatisfied with how democracy works, study finds.
People also read…
- At the Pew Research Center, they get exhausted when they think about politics.
- 63% have little or no confidence in the future of the American political system, according to another
This is not the kind of unity we need. We need unity that offers hope.
The good news is that we have a solution: a united, independent presidential slate that pairs a moderate Republican with a moderate Democrat. This is the vision of No Labels, a political organization that has successfully fought for bipartisan solutions since 2010.
Critics of No Labels say an independent ticket would simply take votes away from President Joe Biden, thereby causing the election of former President Donald Trump. The truth is that Biden is already losing to Trump, and Biden is no longer capable of mounting a vigorous come-from-behind campaign to change that outcome.
The only way to guarantee that Trump will not be elected is to adopt a unified ticket without label. Such a ticket would absolutely take votes away from Biden, but it would also take votes away from Trump. It will capture the majority of independent voters, who now make up about 40% of the electorate, according to one report. Gallup poll.
Critics say an independent candidate can never win a presidential election. Even if an independent has never won before, we are witnessing history being made. According to a HarrisX survey commissioned by No Labels, 59% of American voters say they would seriously consider voting for an attractive independent candidate.
Critics note that Ross Perot was the most successful independent candidate and received only 19% of the vote in 1992. Although this is true, Perot was stronger in the polls in July 1992, before give up running for 10 weeks. He reinstated in October and still got 19% while running against two candidates people actually liked.
Frank Luntz, national pollster recently said an independent ticket could start with around 20% support, and he doesn’t see a ceiling on public support.
Imagine what a plan for unity can do with this kind of lead, with a common-sense policy agenda supported by a majority of Americans. Imagine a unity ticket against two candidates that people don’t want to see in the race.
A unity president will provide cover for all the good politicians in Washington who want to do the right thing, but who will be vilified if they vote bipartisan. Angry politics will be replaced by respectful dialogue and bipartisan solutions. The wavering confidence in our political institutions will once again be replaced by immense pride in the greatness of this country.
America’s silent majority is ready to raise its voice. 2024 will indeed be a year like no other.
Martin, of Waunakee, is a retired insurance executive and volunteer with No Labels: www.nolabels.org.
