Lynn Schmidt: No Labels is an insurance policy against two lousy frontrunners

kAm}@ @?6 =:<6D E@ A2J :?DFC2?46 AC6>:F>D] qFE H96? 5:D2DE6C DEC:<6D[ E96J DFC6 2C6 C6=:6G65 E@ 92G6 :E] %92E :D H92E E96 8C@H:?8 3:A2CE:D2? 8C@FA }@ {236=D :D @776C:?8 E96 6=64E@C2E6]k^Am

kAm!@== 27E6C A@== D9@HD E92E 2 >2;@C:EJ @7 p>6C:42?D 5@ ?@E H2?E 2 a_a_ C6>2E49 36EH66? !C6D:56?E y@6 q:56? 2?5 7@C>6C AC6D:56?E s@?2=5 %CF>A :? a_ac] xE :D 92C5 E@ :>28:?6 2 D6BF6?46 @7 6G6?ED E92E 492?86D E96 A@==:?8 @C 86ED 36EE6C 7@C 6:E96C 42?5:52E6[ 6DA64:2==J D:?46 q:56? H:== @?=J 86E @=56C 2?5 %CF>A’D =682= =:23:=:E:6D H:== :?4C62D6 @G6C E:>6]k^Am

kAmx>28:?6 E96 7@==@H:?8 D46?2C:@[ H9:49 :D ?@E 36J@?5 :>28:?2E:@?ik^Am

kAmxE :D =2E6 $6AE6>36C a_ac[ 2?5 E96 ?@>:?2E:?8 4@?G6?E:@?D 92G6 A2DD65] %96 #6AF3=:42?D >6E :? yF=J 2?5 ?@>:?2E65 %CF>A] %96 s6>@4C2ED 4@?G6?65 :? pF8FDE 2?5 :?4F>36?E q:56? H2D C6?@>:?2E65]k^Am

kAm%CF>A 92D 366? 4@?G:4E65 :? E96 7656C2= EC:2= 7@C 9:D C@=6 :? E96 y2?] e[ a_a`[ 2EE24< @? E96 r2A:E@=] %CF>A’D EC:2= 7@C 9:D >:D92?5=:?8 @7 4=2DD:7:65 5@4F>6?ED :D @?8@:?8 :? u=@C:52[ 2D H6== 2D 9:D v6@C8:2 EC:2= @G6C 6=64E:@? :?E6C76C6?46] %96 p>6C:42? AF3=:4 92D =62C?65 2 8C62E 562= @7 :?7@C>2E:@? 5FC:?8 E96 EC:2=D[ 2?5 2 >2;@C:EJ @7 E96 6=64E@C2E6 E9:?<D %CF>A D9@F=5 36 5:DBF2=:7:65 7C@> 9@=5:?8 E96 @77:46 @7 E96 AC6D:56?4J]k^Am

kAmp== E96 H9:=6[ !C6D:56?E q:56?’D 2AAC@G2= ?F>36CD C6>2:? =@H[ H:E9 ':46 !C6D:56?E z2>2=2 w2CC:D’ 6G6? =@H6C] %96? q:56? 92D 2 >2;@C 962=E9 6G6?E[ 2?5 3@E9 4@?7:56?46 :? 9:> 2?5 6?E9FD:2D> 7@C E96 86?6C2= 6=64E:@? E2?<D]k^Am

kAm(:E9 E92E D6BF6?46 @7 6G6?ED[ H@F=5?VE E96 p>6C:42? A6@A=6 H@F=5 36 C6=:6G65 E@ 92G6 2?@E96C 49@:46 \\ 2? :?DFC2?46 A@=:4J E@ 2G6CE 2? 6=64E@C2= 56324=6nk^Am

kAm%9:D :D H92E }@ {236=D[ 6DE23=:D965 :? a__h[ :D @776C:?8]k^Am

kAm}@ {236=D DA6?E :ED 7:CDE 564256 H@C<:?8 E@ 3F:=5 2 3:A2CE:D2? 8@G6C?:?8 4@2=:E:@? :? r@?8C6DD] xE 96=A65 4C62E6 E96 w@FD6 !C@3=6> $@=G6CD r2F4FD 2?5 2? 2==:65 $6?2E6 8C@FA E92E =65 E@ A2DD286 @7 E96 9:DE@C:4 a_a` :?7C2DECF4EFC6 3:==] {2E6C E92E J62C[ }@ {236=D =2F?4965 2 AC@;64E E@ D64FC6 ?2E:@?H:56 32==@E 2446DD E@ 6?23=6 E96 A@E6?E:2= ?@>:?2E:@? @7 2? :?56A6?56?E &?:EJ %:4<6E :? a_ac]k^Am

kAm}@ {236=D :56?E:7:6D :ED6=7 2D “2 8C@H:?8 ?2E:@?2= >@G6>6?E @7 4@>>@?\D6?D6 p>6C:42?D AFD9:?8 @FC =6256CD E@86E96C E@ D@=G6 @FC 4@F?ECJ’D 3:886DE AC@3=6>D]”k^Am

kAm“~FC >@G6>6?E :?4=F56D 4@?D6CG2E:G6D[ =:36C2=D 2?5 6G6CJ@?6 :? 36EH66?[Q :ED k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]24E:@?]?@=236=D]@C8^2CE:4=6D^h\=236=D\a_ac\:?DFC2?46\AC@;64E\72BQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmH63D:E6k^2m DE2E6D] QqFE H6 2C6 2== F?:E65 3J 46CE2:? 7F?52>6?E2= 36=:67D] (6 42C6 23@FE E9:D 4@F?ECJ >@C6 E92? E96 56>2?5D @7 2?J A@=:E:42= A2CEJ] (6 36=:6G6 A@=:E:42= =6256CD ?665 E@ =:DE6? >@C6 E@ E96 >2;@C:EJ @7 p>6C:42?D 2?5 =6DD E@ 6IEC6>:DED @? E96 72C =67E 2?5 72C C:89E] (6 2C6 8C2E67F= E@ =:G6 :? 2 4@F?ECJ H96C6 H6 42? @A6?=J 5:D28C66 H:E9 @E96C A6@A=6] (6 36=:6G6 p>6C:42 :D?’E A6C764E[ 3FE H6 =@G6 E9:D 4@F?ECJ 2?5 H@F=5 ?@E H2?E E@ =:G6 2?J A=246 6=D6] (6 42? DE:== =@G6 2?5 C6DA64E A6@A=6 H9@ 5@ ?@E D92C6 @FC A@=:E:42= @A:?:@?D] (6 DFAA@CE[ 2?5 2C6 8C2E67F= 7@C[ E96 &]$] >:=:E2CJ]”k^Am

kAm}@ {236=D 92D 366? H@C<:?8 @? @3E2:?:?8 32==@E 2446DD :? 2== d_ DE2E6D 2?5 E96 s:DEC:4E @7 r@=F>3:2] p A@E6?E:2= F?:EJ E:4<6E H@F=5 :?4=F56 2 s6>@4C2E 2?5 2 #6AF3=:42? 42?5:52E6[ @?6 @? E96 E@A @7 E96 E:4<6E 2?5 @?6 @? E96 3@EE@> @7 E96 E:4<6E] qFE @?=J :7 E96 p>6C:42? A6@A=6 D2J E92E :D H92E E96J H2?E]k^Am

kAm}@ {236=D 92D ?@E J6E 4@>>:EE65 E@ @776C:?8 :ED 32==@E =:?6 E@ 2 AC6D:56?E:2= E:4<6E] qFE :ED A@==:?8 D9@HD ebT @7 p>6C:42?D H@F=5 36 @A6? E@ DFAA@CE:?8 2 >@56C2E6 :?56A6?56?E AC6D:56?E:2= 42?5:52E6 :? a_ac :7 E96 2=E6C?2E:G6D 2C6 %CF>A 2?5 q:56?]k^Am

kAm}@ {236=DV 56EC24E@CD[ H9@ 2E E9:D E:>6 2C6 >@DE=J s6>@4C2ED[ H@CCJ 23@FE E96 G@E6D 2 A@E6?E:2= F?:EJ E:4<6E H@F=5 E2<6 7C@> q:56? 2?5 w2CC:D] %96 D2>6 4C:E:4D 92G6 366? D:=6?E @? vC66? !2CEJ 42?5:52E6 r@C?6= (6DE’D A@E6?E:2= G@E6 D92C6]k^Am

kAm}@ {236=D :?D:DED :E H:== ?@E 36 2 DA@:=6C 7@C %CF>A] x?DE625[ :E :D 5@:?8 E96 92C5 H@C< @7 86EE:?8 32==@E 2446DD 2?5 H@F=5 @?=J @776C :ED 32==@E =:?6 E@ 2 &?:EJ %:4<6E :7 :E 925 2 C62= D9@E E@ H:? E96 (9:E6 w@FD6] kDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>Qm}@ {236=D F?56CDE2?5D E96 E9C62E E92E %CF>A A@D6D E@ @FC 4@?DE:EFE:@?2= @C56C] }@ {236=D 4@\492:CD 7@C>6C &]$] $6?] y@6 {:636C>2? 2?5 q6?;2>:? r92G:D yC] 92G6 D2:5 F?6BF:G@42==Ji “s@?2=5 %CF>A D9@F=5 ?6G6C 282:? 36 AC6D:56?E @7 E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D]”k^DA2?mk^Am

kAmx7 E96 s6>@4C2E:4 2?5 #6AF3=:42? A2CE:6D 4@?E:?F6 @? E96:C 4FCC6?E A2E9D[ 3@E9 H:== 36 4@>A=:4:E :? ?@>:?2E:?8 42?5:52E6D E92E 2 >2;@C:EJ @7 p>6C:42? G@E6CD 5@ ?@E H2?E] }6:E96C A@=:E:42= A2CEJ D9@F=5 36 =:>:E:?8 E96 49@:46D 7@C E96 p>6C:42? 6=64E@C2E6] %92E :D F?56>@4C2E:4]k^Am

kAm$@ :7 :E EFC?D @FE E92E E96 p>6C:42? A6@A=6 H2?E 2?@E96C 49@:46 2?5 H@F=5 24EF2==J G@E6 7@C 2 &?:EJ E:4<6E[ }@ {236=D H:== 36 C625J E@ 8@] x 7@C @?6 H@F=5 36 8=25 E92E E96 8=2DD H:== 36 E96C6 :? a_ac E@ 3C62< :? 42D6 @7 2? 6>6C86?4J]k^Am