A long MSNBC panel discussion between conservative pollster Frank Luntz and former GOP strategist Rick Wilson ended with Luntz shaking his head in disagreement after Wilson predicted what would happen if a somewhat viable third-party candidate jumped into the 2024 presidential race.
After Luntz attempted to make the case that he could see a late-surging third-party run impacting the final 2024 results, and stating he saw it as a good thing, Wilson disabused him of the notion by pointing out it would likely propel Trump into the White House again with disastrous results.
Luntz stated his case, saying on Trump voters, "I know this is going to disagree with so many of your viewers, but they really want common sense. They want someone who doesn't change left to right, doesn't choose Republican or Democrat. They want someone who gets the job done in a smart, intelligent, effective way."
"The challenge, again I say this to viewers because I know you care about this so much, is I do believe there's going to be a third party." he continued. "I believe it's not going to be a binary choice. What you can see happening is that all those people in the center, 20, 25, even 30 percent will search for another alternative to Trump and to Biden. That is something that we need to start to consider, even now in January 2024."
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"I love the idea of a third party, of a broader party system but like St. Augustine said, 'Lord, make me good, but not yet'," Wilson parried. "This is a moment where we are in a fight between Joe Biden and Donald Trump, everything else is a distraction and everyone else puts this country at risk."
"If we believe the luxury good of imagining that a third party could win 270 Electoral College votes, which has never happened, and it will not happen in our lifetimes given the two-party system, we are not going to be in a state where we have a lovely third-party imaginary candidate in. We're going to be in this position where Steve Bannon, Stephen Miller, and Donald Trump are running an authoritarian government in Washington, D.C., and America will not look like anything we recognize," he summed up.
That left Luntz with his lips pressed together and shaking his head in disagreement as host Ali Velshi interjected, "Guys, I love the disagreements. I respect you both about it, I can see Frank still nodding but, you know what? You both are friends of the show, so you're welcome here all the time."
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