Former SC Congressman says Americans need viable alternative for president | Opinion

My recent op-ed about supporting a Unity ticket in the 2024 presidential election generated much excitement from both friends and foes.

Unfortunately, it has also generated a lot of disinformation. The disinformation may be unintentional, but it is harmful nonetheless. As Mark Twain once said, “A lie will travel halfway around the world while the truth is still putting on its shoes.” In the spirit of transparency, I’d like to address some important points and “tighten up the laces.”

First, No Labels, the political movement that is working to offer Americans a bipartisan, centrist, viable alternative to the two major parties in next year’s presidential election, has been very clear that it has not yet decided that it will run a ticket. Currently, it’s focused on securing ballot access in all 50 states in case that decision needs to be made. Whether it will run such a ticket hinges on a variety of factors.

The most important factor is whether the eventual Democratic and Republican nominees would be the two candidates whom the majority of Americans has been clear and consistent about not wanting to see on the ballot: see Biden v. Trump. What a tragedy it would be if by Election Day, Americans are told that their only choice is between the candidates whom they’ve specifically said they do not want.

The second factor is whether a path to victory exists for an alternative to the Democratic and Republican nominees. No Labels has no desire to run a ticket that does not have a path to victory. That would be pointless, and the ticket would be pulled — again, if it is even launched. But it is worth noting that as of now, independent voters handily outnumber those who identify as either Democrat or Republican.

Third, the purpose of a Unity ticket would be to give Americans what they want: a viable alternative to two unpalatable main nominees. As a Democrat who voted to impeach former President Trump, I will not do anything to help that man get elected. If a Unity ticket would throw the election to Trump, No Labels would pull the ticket off the ballot.

Many have commented with an abundance of certainty of the impact a Unity ticket would have on this election. I wish to remind people that no one gets it right all the time in political predictions. And sometimes, they’re spectacularly wrong. Some said Hillary had a 100% chance of winning in 2016. They were wrong. Many said I could not win in 2018. They were wrong. Today, I could be wrong. As could you. There are many unknowns in this life.

But one thing is certain: Just 13 years after being formed, No Labels has achieved an impressive list of legislative successes, principally through the bipartisan congressional Problem Solvers Caucus that it helped create. The caucus is an independent group in Congress comprising representatives from across the country and equally divided between Democrats and Republicans who are committed to finding common ground on many of the key issues facing the nation.

No Labels is acting in good faith and true to its mission to bring our country together through bipartisanship. I’ve spent my short political career doing the same: building bridges and bringing people together. In my first year in Congress, I traveled each week to Washington, DC, with two six-packs of beer and presented one to a Democrat and one to a Republican as a gift and to build relationships. It was good beer, too.

I believe in this mission. I believe it is the only way for our country to close our political divide, and in doing so to reunite families, friends and neighbors who have splintered due to the rancid political discourse of recent years.

I began my foray into politics trying to bring people together. It is the ground on which I staked my political career. And it’s where I’ll take my last political breath, if necessary.