No Labels? More like no candidates, amirite:
oday, No Labels is ending our effort to put forth a Unity ticket in the 2024 presidential election.
Americans remain more open to an independent presidential run, and hungrier for unifying national leadership, than ever before. But No Labels has always said we would only offer our ballot line to a ticket if we could identify candidates with a credible path to winning the White House. No such candidates emerged, so the responsible course of action is for us to stand down.
So apparently the only thing deader than their efforts is Joe Lieberman. Shame, really, because now how are Nancy Jacobson and her scumbag husband Mark Penn going to grift this year?
The weather here is still crazy- raining off and on, and a state of emergency has been declared in the closest “city,” Wellsburg, where there river is expected to crest at 42+ feet either tonight or tomorrow. Apparently we also had hail today, but I missed it because I was in a zoom meeting and didn’t even notice.
Pleased to hear the solar eclipse is next week and I did not miss it. Although I doubt I will be much interested because I am having a colonoscopy on Tuesday and in the midst of the delightful prep during the main event. Technically, I guess Tuesday will feature a lunar eclipse of sorts.
I’m in the middle of watching Black Sails, which I had started several times and did not finish. I think this time it is going to stick.

War for Ukraine Day 771: The Butcher’s Bill from Kharkiv
oldster
Cresting at 42+ feet?!? Wow — that’s an emergency alright.
That must be one of those hundred-year floods that has happens every spring now.
Welcome back to West Virginia!
hells littlest angel
It’s only a couple hundred miles to drive, and you don’t have to start prepping until that evening. A total eclipse is one of the most awesome, spectacular sights you will ever see. Treat yourself.
Sister Golden Bear
The eclipse might provide a much needed distraction from the colonoscopy prep.
Devore
Since the republicans always seem to be the ones running a third party to hurt the democrats. Why don’t the democrats support a third party candidate to hurt Trump?
such as the reanimated corpse of Ron Reagan. Use AI to generate a still alive Reagan who’s heaven sent to save America
frosty
@Sister Golden Bear: Truth!
cwmoss
“lunar eclipse of sorts.”
More like a rectal eclipse! (h/t Roseanne Rosannadanna)
cmorenc
If the US had ranked-choice voting, I’d be all-for making it easier for 3rd/independent parties or candidates to qualify for ballot access. But alas, control of election laws have been so thoroughly captured by the current two major parties as to make it not only difficult, but perverse when third-parties do manage to qualify, because the net result under current election laws is nearly always to cause their voters to unwittingly assist the major party / candidate most hostile to the third party’s purported goals in running. Nader => Bush. Libertarians => Trump, Perot =>Clinton.
This observation does not contradict the parallel phenomenon that malevolent, cynical forces aligned with the major party most likely to benefit from voters drained off to vote 3p – will often give the 3p financial support. The GOP was happy to give a hand to RFK Jr, while it appeared his run would hurt Biden, but now that RFK Jr is more likely to take bigger bite out of Trump’s vote, see the GOP starting to about-face on their behind-the-scenes support for RFK.
MattF
No Labels is (was) the Big Money party. And that’s their whole story. For them, Trump was obviously preferable to Biden. Yeah, there was that little so-called ‘fascism’ problem, but they were sure that could be dealt with. Everyone knew that Trump could be handled and prevented from doing anything dangerous. [sigh].
In fact, IMO, it’s rather impressive that so many crazy-ambitious R politicians came to the same conclusion: running as the No Labels candidate was a fool’s game. There was zero chance of being elected. It would only help Trump, and they did not want to do that.
Suzanne
We had some hail-ish stuff happen, too. I did, however, know it was happening, because I was out running in it with the puppy. WTF is my problem.
Jackie
We had 82 degrees Tues. Today’s high: 48.
But, climate change is fake news.
Mathguy
Good to be reminded that Lieberman is dead. Hope they took steps to make sure someone doesn’t reanimate the corpse.
Josie
@Jackie:
That sounds like Houston’s weather in the winter.
Betty
Speaking of tv series, I just read a rave review of Netflix’s Ripley starring Andrew Scott. He is an excellent actor.
mrmoshpotato
No Labels, no we don’t! 🖕
Phein64
@oldster: What’s normal flood stage? Cresting at 42+ feet doesn’t mean 42 feet above flood stage.
Ohio Mom
We had about 30 seconds of small hail. I couldn’t get out in time to catch some, it melted almost immediately.
different-church-lady
Christ, if that was your criteria, you could have given up years ago.
Mingobat (f/k/a KareninGA)
I saw the 2017 eclipse in northeast Georgia.
We understand why eclipses happen — it’s the moon blocking the sun, not gods angry with us and withdrawing their warmth until we sacrifice a goat to convince them we love them and please please please don’t plunge us into darkness again. But still, actually seeing it broke my brain. I still understood what was happening, but some primal part of me was making the rest of me glad I wasn’t standing on the rim of a volcano within arms length of a shoveable virgin, because, hey, you know, just in case.
It’s an incredible sight. And while the moon is crossing the sun, before and after it covers it, check out the dappled sunlight on the ground coming though the leaves. Crescent shaped!
Uncle Cosmo
@hells littlest angel: Helzbelz, Cole has a standing invite to a lift in my car to manyakitty’s watch party near Akron if he can be ready to leave NLT 9:30 AM on Monday. (Wearing pants or overalls.) He can call or text my cell (which I am sending to WG to pass along to him) by roughly 9 AM when I should be reproaching Pittsburgh.
HeleninEire
@John “apparently the only thing deader than their efforts is Joe Lieberman.”
Yeah I was not sad when I heard he died. And I am tired of people saying you shouldn’t talk bad about the dead. If you were an asshole in life, you are an asshole in death. Death does not redeem you.
@ John “… because I am having a colonoscopy on Tuesday and in the midst of the delightful prep during the main event.” Yeah so the prep ain’t great but it’s not the hell everyone talks about.
MattF
And that ice precipitation is ‘graupel’.
Betty
I checked out Wellsburg to see which river that was and found out it is the Ohio. I also learned that a place with a population of 2,800 is officially considered a city in West Virginia.
zhena gogolia
@Betty: I love him, and also Johnny Flynn, so I’m going to try it, but it may be too violent for me these days. I did sit through the Matt Damon one, but that was a long time ago.
Frankensteinbeck
I still think they never intended to run a candidate. This was a grifting operation to squeeze money out of rich Republican donors who think they’re paying to ratfuck Democrats.
Harrison Wesley
@Uncle Cosmo: What did Pittsburgh ever do to you?
Sorry, have to stick in a plug here for approval voting, since I noted that RCV was mentioned above. I believe approval voting does as good a job as RCV for electing candidates with the most popular support, but it’s less confusing to voters and easier (and cheaper) to administer. To complete this un-solicited ad, I’ll drop the website: https://electionscience.org/. Just to clarify, I don’t think third parties are going anywhere at the national level, and I think that systems like RCV and approval voting are less likely to be hijacked by third parties. But that’s just my take.
Ceci n est pas mon nym
@Mingobat (f/k/a KareninGA):
I’m eclipse chasing for the second time in my life. We’re in Ontario on our way to Montreal. Having an enjoyable few days before the mobs descend on every city and small town in the path of totality.
I just had my first ever poutine. I may sleep from now till the eclipse.
geg6
@hells littlest angel:
He doesn’t even have to go that far. I live about an hour or so away, north of Bethany and we’re told we’ll see 97% if the clouds aren’t too bad. We’re having a viewing party on campus.
BretH
@Sister Golden Bear: Had mine Tuesday. I much prefer the tablets for sure!!
Central Planning
@John Cole:
At least 3 celestial bodies might be seen: full moon, black hole, or Uranus.
trollhattan
West Coasters unfamiliar with apocalyptic hailstorms so imagine my surprise finding myself in one on winding Delta Highway 160 this afternoon. Covered the highway white in places and so loud it drowned out my loud stereo (sorry, Stevie Ray). Unclear if paint was damaged, but I’d say max 1/4-inch and none of that golf ball nonsense y’all love enduring. This was in the Clarksburg wine region and will bet their 2024 harvest just got seriously jacked.
Spring? The hell is that, I canna remember.
Odie Hugh Manatee
At colonoscopy time the twisted part of me wants to write a Chinese fortune on a small piece of white plastic with a fine sharpie. I’d also put the lottery numbers on the back of it, of course. Then stuff it before the visit.
Maybe write “If found, call…” or “Abandon all hope ye who enter”. Ask for sedation, of course.
dmsilev
@Frankensteinbeck: I think they would have run a campaign if they had managed to find a vaguely plausible sucker to front it. How better to keep the grift going through November? But all of the potential suckers noped right out, which is kind of impressive.
Steeplejack
@Phein64:
Flood stage at Wellsburg is 36', according to the National Weather Service.
Steeplejack
@Uncle Cosmo:
What’ve you got against Pittsburgh?
Craig
@Betty: The hot priest! Plays a good Moriarty as well.
trollhattan
@Steeplejack: They know what they did.
different-church-lady
@Odie Hugh Manatee:
Well that’s cute, but the thing is by the time you’re done drinking the evil liquid of cleansing there’s not a chance in hell anything is going remain placed in your colon.
Craig
@HeleninEire: ” I was always taught never to say anything about the dead unless it’s good. He’s dead. Good” Mabs Mabley.
Steeplejack
@Betty:
He was good as Moriarty in Sherlock, and I remember him playing a soldier charged with treason in Foyle’s War.
SiubhanDuinne
@Mingobat (f/k/a KareninGA):
I wasn’t far from you — I crossed over into SC, just off I-85. And I know exactly what you mean about that surge of primal wonder and energy despite understanding the mechanics of it.
This year, one of my favourite bat sanctuaries happens to be in the path of totality. The researchers there are very interested in observing the bats (normally asleep in their caves at that time of day). Will there be signals that stir them into flight and hunting during that brief period of totality, or will they just shift and mutter a little and go back to sleep? No one really knows! I hope they have good weather so they can get useful bat data.
Scout211
I will remind you, it was yesterday!
I was outside working in the sunshine in shorts and a tee shirt yesterday. I was nearly 80 degrees. Now my weather app says it “feels like 35.” And it does. It really does. 🥶
Jay
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/biden-israel-ultimatum-gaza-1.7164251
Scout211
Last year, during the crazy winter weather in California I learned about graupel (or snow pellets) from the local news. Lots of graupel fell all over NorCal during one of the many big storms we had last year. I have pictures of my patio covered with 2 inches of graupel.
mrmoshpotato
Some math and movie fun!
https://nitter.poast.org/MuellerSheWrote/status/1775989733216428327#m
Phein64
@Steeplejack: 6 ft over floodstage would be a small problem on the Upper Miss, but I’ve never worked the Ohio or its feeders above Cincinnati. 6 feet over floodstage around St. Louis is a somewhat minor irritant. I suspect that given the topography (lots of hills), 6 ft over floodstage around Wellsburg isn’t the biggest problem they’ve had to deal with in recent years. Just sayin’.
Jackie
EVERY VOTE COUNTS – even when you think it doesn’t matter.
Martin
@Jay: Uh huh. Israels existing policy for humanitarian aid isn’t being implemented, either due to the usual individuals in government filibustering it at the implementation level or by Israeli settlers physically blocking access.
I don’t see Israel standing up to these groups. There is no actual interest in saving civilian lives by the current government, and proclaiming it won’t make it so.
Jay
@Martin:
and their “tactic” of killing aid workers in targeted strikes along with Gazan’s trying to get aid.
We will see.
Scout211
TIL something new about the California elections code. I had no idea that there was a scenario in California where the top two becomes the top three. Interesting.
SiubhanDuinne
@mrmoshpotato:
It works!!
Martin
This kind of frames it the wrong way – as if the state is having trouble counting the ballots.
California does away with the usual ‘count fast and contest’ (which implies you can count quickly and then count accurately) process that a lot of states use and instead do a count and validate process. If there’s any uncertainty about a ballot, election officials follow up with the voter to resolve the issue. This means that any irregularity gets investigated, making fraud difficult to do. This process of contacting voters (and sometimes investigating) can take some time and is done before the vote is certified. It’s why there is no recount process – there’s no need for one.
Sister Golden Bear
Good: State just approved my short-term disability claim, which pays far more than unemployment. Means I’ll be burning through less savings.
Better: It’s retroactive to include the past two weeks.
Bad: Because I was getting unemployment — and you can’t claim both at the same time* — both my unemployment and my disability payments that were supposed to be paid out this week are on hold, until the unemployment office interviews me about the issue.
Ugly: The interview isn’t schedule until next Tuesday.
Thankfully, I can weather the delay, but thinking of all the people who can’t.
*Which I don’t have problem with, but given CA SDI’s reputation for arbitrarily denying claims the first time around, I wasn’t going to stop UI until I knew whether the short-term disability claim was going to be approved.
Melancholy Jaques
@Devore:
Every right-winger that I’ve ever heard address the subject claims that Ross Perot cost Bush père the election.
Old School
@Phein64:
Doesn’t look like it’s too fun.
NotMax
Black Sails was an okay watch but did lose steam* as it progressed.
*no pun intended
NotMax
FYI. Luna tick-tock.
Exclusive: White House directs NASA to create time standard for the moon.
Origuy
I’m in southern Ohio and the Scioto River has overflowed its banks. There are flood warnings in a few places. I got hit by hail a few times while I was driving around.
hells littlest angel
@geg6: I assure you, the difference between 97% and totality is enormous. Head northwest!
NotMax
@hells littlest angel
Might one venture to say the difference is night and day?
:)
Uncle Cosmo
@Harrison Wesley:
Baltimore born and bred, needs I say more? Wul ok, I will: Heartbreaking 7-game Whirled Serious losses in 1971 and 1979, soulcrushing NFL losses to the Stealers too numerous to recount…
Hey, at least we don’t both have basketball or hockey to feud over. And on that note, NooYawkers are by far the bigger arseholes:
Buncha barstids.
Uncle Cosmo
And every right winger that you’ve ever heard is wrong, wrong, wrong. IIRC numerous studies in the years since have pretty definitively established that Clinton would have beaten Poppy Bush in a two-person race. Those Thuglicans are just a bunch of WATBs who seem to think no Democrat has the right to be elected POTUS – IOW the not-so-distant ancestors of the current GQP.