John,
We recently emailed you about the rise of the dark-money funded political group, No Labels, and their deceptive messaging tactics. Since then, the organization has continued to make waves in mainstream media coverage of the 2024 election. Check it out ⬇️
No Labels wants you to believe that they're a bipartisan, third-party alternative, but if you follow the money, the facts suggest otherwise, John.
While No Labels hasn't made its finances public, a recent analysis from Mother Jones found that its backers skewed heavily in favor of Republicans. One donor even provided a "big chunk" of cash to Donald Trump.
John, the mainstream media might be afraid to call out No Labels, but COURIER isn't. Whether it's standing up to Fox News or correcting the record about No Labels, our work to expose misinformation and provide trustworthy reporting during the 2024 presidential campaign is more important than ever.
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: COURIER [[email protected]]
Date: Fri, Aug 18, 2023 at 11:12 AM
Subject: Legitimate third party or right-wing front group?
To: John [[email protected]]
The "No Labels" party is not what it claims to be, John.
They’ve been a hot topic lately as Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia considers a third party presidential bid. And while they present themselves as a legitimate, centrist option — the Goldilocks party that’s not too hot and not too cold, but just right — the truth is much darker.
Here are three key facts that explain why No Labels is not a centrist party, why no third party can win the White House, and who's really behind these efforts.
First, the group's basic premise doesn't comport with reality. They claim that Trump and Biden represent equally extreme ends of the political spectrum, ignoring the fact that Trump openly sought the end of American democracy and is now promising his base "retribution" over the election he falsely claims was stolen. An equivalent extreme simply does not exist on the American left.
Second, the Electoral College makes a third party victory virtually impossible. In 1912, 1992, 2000, and 2016, third party candidates siphoned enough votes to tip the scales in favor of one of the major party candidates.
And in 2024, Trump’s core base will support him no matter what — a third party candidate would only serve to siphon traditionally conservative voters concerned with the state of our democracy away from President Biden.
Third, No Labels is a dark money group financed by far-right donors. Although they've repeatedly refused to disclose their major donors, Politico, Mother Jones, and the Lincoln Project have reported that they include:
These donors and others have spent huge sums to launder their talking points through a purportedly “centrist” organization, but a little digging reveals exactly what No Labels really is: just another cog in the right-wing disinformation machine.
Courier was founded to call this kind of misinformation out and provide fact-based reporting to communities in battleground states across the country. And none of our work is locked behind a paywall — which means we count exclusively on donors like you to help us accomplish our mission.
Thank you,
The Courier Newsroom Team
