No Labels, the quixotic and billionaire-friendly third party group looking to field a centrist 2024 presidential candidate, is a source of great intrigue in town. Part of the curiosity, as I’ve previously reported, derives from their recent meetings with Dem-G.O.P. hybrids, such as Joe Manchin, Larry Hogan, and Susan Collins. Part of it comes from the organic curiosity and concern about whether there is room in American politics for a third party, and whether a modern day Ross Perot would just facilitate a plurality victory for Trump. And, sure, some people worry about the optics of guys like Steve Schwarzman and a group of enigmatic billionaires having an outsized role in selecting the leader of the free world. 

But part of it simply stems from the group’s undeniable and intrinsic secrecy. Most politicians and operatives always somehow find the time to offer a quote or a text, even if it’s on background. But my multiple requests for interviews with No Labels have always been rebuffed. I was once told by C.E.O. Nancy Jacobson, “What’s best for Democracy is confidentiality.” Even former senator Joe Lieberman was mum when I peppered him with questions about the group after disembarking from an American Airlines flight we both happened to be on. (Don’t worry, I let him fly in peace, for what it’s worth.)