Opinion: The 2024 presidential election alternative many voters want

Editor’s Note: Joe Lieberman is an independent and former U.S. Senator representing Connecticut from 1989 to 2013. He was the Democratic vice presidential candidate in the 2000 presidential election. The opinions expressed herein are his own. View More Views On CNN.

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When Ralph Nader ran for president in 2000, he made a simple case that ultimately helped “destroy” I had the privilege of running alongside Al Gore on the Democratic ticket. In Nader’s view, the two parties were ideologically indistinguishable.

This statement is completely unfounded. Significant Differences exist policy The combination of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney — ultimately won, in part because Thanks Nader —and ours. For Nader, this isn’t really about the “two-party monopoly” he created. It’s about his desire arrive push Gore and the Democratic left.

Of course, no one can legitimately argue today that there are no ideological differences between the two parties. The core problem in Washington, D.C., is that the two parties are too divided to get much done.

Although most Americans yearn for a time when Republicans and Democrats could work together to find bipartisan solutions to big problems, but many members of Congress refuse to do so. migrantthis Debt Ceiling and other issues of vital importance to the nation, even as bipartisanship is the path to restore our shared prosperity and security. In fact, today, with Republicans controlling the House and Democrats controlling the Senate, bipartisanship is the only way to pass any legislation.

While heal- ing the divisions that plague our political system will not be easy, there is one step that can be taken — starting with giving voters a real choice in the 2024 presidential election.

When Americans elect a president and vice president, they usually only have two candidates on their ballot: one nominated by the Democratic Party and the other by the Republican Party. But what if there was a third viable option?

The process of adding a third viable option is not only arduous and time-consuming, but Varies by state and the District of Columbia.

today, No tagsis a nonprofit organization that I co-chair that is laying the groundwork for such an event in 2024. Since early 2022, our team has been working hard across the country to get votes on behalf of potential no-label parties, typically by collecting a certain number of petition signatures from voters in each state.

If we succeed, a unified slate of candidates consisting of one Democrat and one Republican could be presented to voters alongside the Republican and Democratic candidates.

We view this as a national insurance policy — an option that would only be taken if neither of the two major party candidates can offer voters a choice of candidates they want to vote for or are unable to escape the partisan divide that currently prevails in our nation’s capital. We will continue to monitor the sentiment of Americans through our own research and polling, as well as public opinion surveys, to make this decision.

In this and several other ways, the nonpartisan movement’s efforts are a far cry from the “spoiler” campaign that Nader launched two decades ago.

First, if the nonpartisan parties lend their vote line to the presidential candidate, then the presidential candidate will be a Democrat and the vice presidential candidate will be a Republican, or vice versa. In this way, it will attract some voters who might otherwise vote for the Democratic candidate, and some voters who might otherwise vote for the Republican candidate. It will also attract other voters who would not vote for either party.

The candidates will be chosen by a diverse and prominent group of citizens on a commission and will be approved by delegates at a nonpartisan national convention planned for April 2024. The convention will be held about six weeks after the March 5 “Super Tuesday” primaries, which historically have determined the major party nominees.

Second, the independent 2024 campaign is not designed to push the Democratic candidate to the left or the Republican candidate to the right. Rather, it is designed to force one or both parties to cater to America’s growing common-sense majority. If they don’t, our voting lines will create opportunities for unity votes.

according to Recent CNN pollsThe number of people who identify as independents is growing, now making up 41% of the electorate, compared to just 28% who identify as Democrats and 31% who identify as Republicans. These numbers provide further evidence that independents could win in the 2024 election.

But if no such path is in sight in the coming months, independents will step aside and focus instead on the work we have done over the past decade, electing and organizing members of the House and Senate who have shown the courage to reach across party lines — including members of both parties. House Problem Solvers Caucus.

It seems the Biden administration has begun to recognize the importance of common sense in appealing to the majority. President Biden Recently signed into law Republicans overturned a Washington, D.C., crime bill that reduced sentences for violent offenders and announced tougher Border Control policy.

We hope that Republicans vying for the party’s nomination will also recognize the need to reach out beyond their base rather than resort to Split Policy and politics.

Finally, No Labels hopes no I have to vote for the Independent Solidarity Party. We hope that the parties can come to their senses. But judging by the anger and pessimism, reaction Strategists from both parties, as they consider nonpartisan insurance policies, say it’s clear that party leaders now understand that ignoring the common sense of the majority can have political costs. That’s why we should look forward to a better future for our government and our country.