Welcome to the online version of From the policy deskevening bulletin that brings you the latest reporting and analysis from the campaign trail, the White House and Capitol Hill from the NBC News Politics team.
In today’s edition, national political reporter Ben Kamisar breaks down the latest episode of the NBC News Deciders Focus Group series on union voters in Michigan. Plus, No Labels puts an end to bipartisan presidential efforts.
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How Michigan’s key union voters are deciding between Biden and Trump
By Ben Kamisar
The battle for union voters in Michigan has taken center stage this year as Joe Biden and Donald Trump try to control this large and important voting bloc in a key battleground.
And for many of these voters, their political affiliation comes well before their union affiliation.
That’s the latest from our friends from the NBC News Deciders Focus Group series with union voters in the state. Busy, Syracuse University and Sago. The poll shows Biden slightly ahead among union voters nationwide after winning by double digits in 2020, and he has won support from major union leaders, including unions. United Auto Workers. But our focus group participants were almost evenly split between Biden and Trump.
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None of the 15 participants in the focus group said Trump’s policies were pro-union. That didn’t matter to the former president’s supporters, some of whom argued that their candidate was pro-labor, not pro-union.
“I think he’s in favor of getting people back to work, whether you’re unionized or not. … He wants companies to make money, then their employees work and they also make money.” – Larry P., a 66-year-old retired UAW member from Livonia
Biden supporters in the group had some positive comments about the president’s support for student debt relief and unions. But many said they sided with Biden because they don’t like Trump.
“He’s a better alternative than his opponent because he’s not trying to create violence within the country, he’s not pitting people against each other like Trump.” – Paul B., 66-year-old retired UAW member from Detroit
Two of the voters in the focus group, one Republican and one Democrat, said they would not vote for Trump or Biden — and one expressed the extreme apathy and frustration many voters have with the choice this fall.
“Either way, there will be a dumpster fire, but I don’t think my vote will matter. … It will be just another politician. It’s like choosing between one bag of garbage and another.” – Colleen T., a 38-year-old registered Democrat from Grayling whose father is a UAW member
No Labels’ proposal is out, but Democrats are targeting another third-party threat
No Labels, a bipartisan group seeking to put a third-party presidential ticket on the ballot in all 50 states in 2024, announced Thursday that it was ending its efforts. Vaughn Hillyard, Katherine Koretski, and Stephanie Ruhle reported.
“No Labels has always said we will only offer our ballot to the ticket if we can identify candidates who have a credible path to winning the White House,” No Labels CEO and co-founder Nancy Jacobson said in a statement. “No such candidates have emerged, so our responsible course of action is to resign.”
The group was rejected by at least a dozen candidates during its recruiting efforts, from former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu to Republican Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick. Democratic Party This was reported by NBC News.
Democrats feared the No Labels ticket would split Biden’s coalition. But the party is increasingly turning its attention to another third-party threat.
Alex Seitz-Wald and Hillyard report states that the Democrats are waging open war against independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The party has grown increasingly alarmed by his strength in the polls, especially since he named Silicon Valley philanthropist Nicole Shanahan as his running mate. Not only was he able to finance a cash-strapped campaign, but the way the campaign presented him showed Kennedy positioned himself further to the left.
Now there are whole new Democratic super PACs dedicated to crushing third-party candidates. Democratic National Committee mobile billboards troll Kennedy at events. And party donors are funding legal efforts to keep him off the ballot.
That’s a far cry from the approach Democrats took in 2016, when they largely ignored third-party candidates. But they want to prevent a runoff when Green Party candidate Jill Stein steals potential votes from Hillary Clinton in key states.
“Everybody thinks it’s going to be decided on the head of a pin, so people are more confused than ever,” said one senior Democrat, speaking on condition of anonymity.
🗞️ The best stories of the day
- 💥 Those who left the Electoral College: Nebraska lawmakers have blocked an effort to change how the state allocates Electoral College votes, despite public pressure to switch to a winner-take-all system that could benefit Donald Trump. More →
- 🚔 January 6 protesters say Trump is “hostage”: Trump continues to praise those in prison awaiting trial for the Capitol attack, many of whom are accused of assaulting police or trying to escape from authorities. More →
- 🚫 Rejected x2: Trump had a motion to dismiss two of his cases that were denied today. First, a judge rejected Trump’s attempt to dismiss Georgia charges of election interference Under the First Amendment. A judge later denied a motion to dismiss the classified documents case using the Presidential Records Act. More →
- 📲 Hard Biden-Bibi phone call: During a phone call to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Biden called the strike that killed aid workers earlier this week “unacceptable” and said the country must take clear steps to protect civilians. More →
- 🇮🇱 GOP key wedge issue: Two pro-Israel groups are launching ad campaigns against former Indiana GOP Rep. John Hostettler, who is seeking a return to Congress nearly 20 years after leaving office. More →
- 🧑🤝🧑 Like father, like son? New York Magazine examines whether Rep. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, can survive a major challenge as his father faces political and legal challenges. More →
- 💰 Meet the man who saved Trump: The California billionaire who secured Trump’s appeal has built a successful career lending to those who can’t get credit elsewhere, but he’s also drawn attention from regulators. More →
For now, that’s it from The Politics Desk. If you have feedback – like it or not – send us an email politicsnewsletter@nbcuni.com
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