Dem
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GOP
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Democrats love to worry. It is their nature. One of their new worries is about the centrist group "No Labels," which is toying with the idea of running a unity ticket for president. Such a ticket would have a Democrat and a Republican on the ticket. Just as a thought experiment, imagine former Maryland governor Larry Hogan (R) for president and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) for vice president.
No Labels hopes to raise $70 million from people who believe "Why can't the parties just work together?" Short answer: Because they want contradictory things. It is also busy trying to get on the ballot in swing states, where it could matter.
Democratic groups think that such a fusion ticket would pull in many more conservative Democrats than liberal Republicans because the latter are a nearly extinct species. Consequently, there is a chance that No Labels could act like a spoiler and potentially elect Donald Trump again, something the group does not want. Consequently, the decision to go forward might be canceled if polling showed that its main effect was to reelect Trump.
This Democratic fear is not unfounded, since No Labels is specifically targeting "double haters," that is, people who dislike both parties. In particular, it is planning to target states that Joe Biden won in 2020. Undoubtedly No Labels knows that it is never going to win Texas, but Michigan and Georgia are potential wins for it. Whether this threat materializes depends on: (1) how the campaign materializes, (2) how the funding goes, and (3) whether the group can find plausible candidates. So far, Hogan and Manchin are noncommital about their potential interest. To make a dent, the group would have to find a well-known Democrat and a well-known Republican willing to play spoiler. Hillary-Jeb! 2024? (V)