The Democratic National Committee (Democratic National Committee) is initiating a new campaign to address the challenge posed by third-party and independent candidates in the 2024 presidential election, seeing them as potential threats to President Joe Biden’s re-election bid.
This effort, as reported by NBC News, aims to deploy an aggressive combination of communications strategies, opposition research, and legal challenges against candidates like Independent Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Cornel West of the Justice for All Party, Jill Stein of the Green Party, and a No Labels “Unity Ticket,” all of whom could be on the ballot alongside Biden and former President Donald Trump.
Matt Corridoni, the spokesperson for the Democratic National Committee’s new initiative, spoke about the effort’s rationale in a statement to NBC News.
“We’re facing an unprecedented election and we know the GOP is already working to prop up third-party candidates like Robert Kennedy Jr. to make them stalking horses for Donald Trump,” Corridoni said. “With so much on the line, we’re not taking anything for granted. We’re going to make sure voters are educated and we’re going to make sure all candidates are playing by the rules.”
The task force will be led by veteran Democratic operatives Lis Smith, Mary Beth Cahill, and Ramsey Reid.
Stefanie Spear, representing Kennedy’s campaign, countered the Democratic National Committee’s strategy by affirming Kennedy’s broad appeal to voters from both major political camps.
“Americans want a third choice. Eighty percent of Americans say they don’t want to be forced to choose in this election between the lesser of two evils,” Spear commented, presenting Kennedy as a hopeful and healing figure offering an inspiring vision for America’s future, unlike Trump and Biden who she described as the real spoilers of the election cycle.
The Democratic National Committee has already targeted Kennedy, filing a complaint with the Federal Election Commission over alleged illicit cooperation with a supporting super PAC. The complaint accuses American Values 2024 of gathering signatures for Kennedy, which the Democratic National Committee argues constitutes in-kind contributions.
Responses from other campaigns have varied, with Stein’s campaign manager, Jason Call, criticizing the notion that third-party candidacies spoil Democratic chances as contrary to democratic principles.
“Rather than try to take away ballot options that would better represent the interests of the American public, perhaps the Democratic Party should focus on passing legislation that would actually help struggling people such as a universal single payer healthcare program or guaranteed housing,” Call said. “Sadly, both major political parties in America are fully beholden to the corporate interests which fund the political system. Third parties, in particular the Green Party, are a challenge to that system of corporate hegemony which seeks to deny the general public their own collective power.”
Concerns over third-party candidates drawing votes away from Biden and potentially tilting the election in Trump’s favor have prompted various groups, including American Bridge, MoveOn, Third Way, Citizens to Save Our Republic, and End Citizens United, to focus on independent and third-party candidates.
The Trump campaign, for its part, has highlighted Trump’s leading position in polls when asked about the Democratic National Committee’s new campaign.
“There are more than 100 polls showing President Trump crushing Joe Biden, including recent polling that has him leading in every key battleground state and winning independents by double digits,” stated Trump campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt.
The post Democrats Assemble Team to Undermine Third Party Candidates appeared first on Resist the Mainstream.
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Author: Nicholas Dolinger
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