Editorial: 'Pro-democracy' Democrats eager to obstruct democracy

Prominent Democrats spent the run-up to the November election professing their desire to protect “democracy.” Court documents reveal that was a cynical sham.

On Sunday, The Washington Post featured a report on the lengths that Democratic operatives went to keep a potential No Labels third-party candidate off of state presidential ballots. No Labels describes itself as a movement of people “from both parties and no party who reject extremism, embrace common sense and believe America only works when we work together.”

Throughout early 2024, group officials insisted they were serious about running a top-of-the-ticket candidate in an effort to attract voters who were frustrated by the prospect of choosing between Donald Trump and Joe Biden. Democrats were terrified that adding such an option to the ballot would jeopardize their election chances.

But facing financial and other roadblocks, No Labels shelved that effort in April, two months before Biden’s disastrous debate performance forced him to eventually give way to Kamala Harris.

Now No Labels is fighting back in court, filing lawsuits accusing Democrats of an “unlawful conspiracy” to stop the potential third party from entering the fray. “Documents already unsealed by the courts,” the Post reported, “reveal remarkable details about private proposals for a wide range of hard-nosed tactics that would go beyond public efforts like ads, op-eds and meetings to discourage the No Labels campaign.”

One email from Democratic strategist Lucy Caldwell made clear that the party was willing to go to extremes to prevent American voters from having a No Labels option. “Our main focus,” she wrote, according to the Post, “should be brand destruction but, where possible, we also need to throw up any and all roadblocks to stop them from being successful at signature-gathering.”

There were even plans, the Post report found, to launch a personal harassment and smear campaign against No Labels officials in an effort to “personally stigmatize” them. Another Democratic operative proposed planting negative news stories with friendly media outlets intended to disparage the group. “The goal is to poison the well for No Labels with their key stakeholders and destabilize their efforts internally and in the minds of the public,” an email said. “Spread fear, uncertainty, and doubt about their operation, and within their operation.”

Politics is for the grown-up table and scorched-earth tactics aren’t uncommon. But for those claiming to be dedicated stewards to democracy, embracing underhanded tactics to keep voters from having more choices at the ballot box is the epitome of hypocrisy. Clearly, many progressive activists have nothing but contempt for the concept.