Today, elected officials from across the country gathered in New York to launch “No Labels” - a group aimed at curbing political partisanship. New York’s Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a Democrat-turned-Republican-turned-independent, was there, as was LA’s own Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, a Democrat, who told the crowd that it’s time for both parties to rethink their traditional alliances. The No Labels movement rests on the belief that hyper-partisanship is destroying our political system and paralyzing our ability to govern. They say the majority of Americans are centrists, who don’t want the country to move left or right, just forward. The group’s goals are dreamy, but are they realistic? Will politicians listen? Can “No Labels” work in a climate where people seem to want politicians to take a stand and stick to it?
Guests:
John Avlon, co-founder of No Labels; senior political columnist for The Daily Beast and author of Wingnuts: How the Lunatic Fringe is Hijacking America
Bob Stern, President, Center for Governmental Studies