U.S. Senator Joe Manchin, a maverick Democrat who has often bucked party leadership, told a radio station in his home state of West Virginia on Thursday that he is "thinking seriously" about leaving the party.
U.S. Senator Joe Manchin, a maverick Democrat who has often bucked party leadership, told a radio station in his home state of West Virginia on Thursday that he is "thinking seriously" about leaving the party.
"I'm not a Washington Democrat," Manchin said in the interview on Talkline with Hoppy Kercheval, a West Virginia Metro News show. "I've been thinking seriously about that (becoming an independent) for quite some time."
Manchin and Democratic-turned-independent colleague Senator Kyrsten Sinema have been thorns in top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer's side since the party won its majority in 2020. Democrats hold a 51-49 majority, including three independents who caucus with them.
Last month Manchin further stirred Democratic concerns with an appearance in the early-voting state of New Hampshire with the "No Labels" group, where he mulled starting a third-party presidential campaign in 2024, challenging Democratic President Joe Biden. Having a third-party candidate would "threaten" the two major political parties, Manchin said.
Manchin has used his influence to block legislation that he opposes - including expanding voting rights protections and child tax credits - and to ensure passage of bills he supports, such as a major tax and climate law that passed last summer.
He faces a tough re-election bid next year in Republican-leaning West Virginia, which former President Donald Trump won by almost 39 percentage points in 2020. Manchin has not yet said if he will seek re-election, but he would face an even steeper road if he spurned his party and the fundraising support it can provide.
West Virginia Governor Jim Justice, a former Democrat-turned Republican, began his campaign in April for the Republican nomination to seek Manchin's seat.
Manchin, a popular former governor who was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2010, has kept his seat in part by maintaining a reputation as a rare conservative Democrat in Washington.
Many comments here are complaining about Manchin without taking the time to consider the political acrobatics necessary to win a statewide office in West Virginia as a Democrat. Yes, he's been a pain in the ass but a Republican in that seat would be much, much worse. If nothing else, he's a point towards control of the chamber. Sinema is a different story because she ran as being more progressive than she ended up being and because Kelly is proof positive that an actual Democrat could have won on Arizona. Manchin has never shied away from what he stands for and is probably the only person who could keep the seat blue. So yeah, hate his politics all you want but recognize that him leaving the party would be a terrible thing.
That Republican in a blue suit has stopped a lot of terrible decisions and enabled us to make strides in improving our country. We would be a hell of a lot worse off without him.
IMO the difference between Manchin and MOST GOP Congress members is that since he's wearing a blue tie, he's allowed to do things that are commonly believed, but against the GOP groupthink. Outside of the "freedom" caucus and the political stunts and cultural war red herrings, I'd reckon Manchin agrees with more Republicans than Democrats.
I'm a politics junkie and have seen many posts like this on Reddit. If anything I'd say up to now the fediverse has been farther left leaning in my experience.
These areas only require acrobatics if you're a neoliberal. Progressives can and do flip red districts if they're given support from the party instead of undermined by the party establishment.
Here's the thing, yes places like WV are very conservative, but you've got to understand that the root of Trump's success with the right actually grows from a truth; the working class has gotten fucked over by the corporate establishment and people are tired of it. Joe Manchin can get elected because he represents people's material interests in that place (even if he's also screwing them in the long-term).
Progressives also base their politics mainly on material interests, the main difference is they aim for a more sustainable and just alternative to something like touting the virtues of coal. The right legitimately working class progressive candidate running in WV would likely surprise people with how well they did, pulling apathetic independents and democrats to the polls and getting any practical-minded conservatives who want a future.
Seriously. I get being frustrated with him and wishing for someone better, but that's just not realistic. There are pathways to reduce his power by supporting candidates that can flip a seat in other states, but his seat is only ever likely to get more red.
"Robert Carlyle Byrd served as a United States senator from West Virginia for over 51 years, from 1959 until his death in 2010. A Democrat, Byrd also served as a U.S. representative for six years, from 1953 until 1959. He remains the longest-serving U.S. Senator in history"
lol byyyyyye. if he ain't leaving they should kick him out anyway. i know good electoral politics means coalition-building, but i don't see the point in building a coalition with people like Manchin and Sinema who seem to share none of the party's common goals.
If Manchin didn't exist, not a single piece of Biden's agenda over the past two years would have passed, including things like Justice Jackson joining the Supreme Court.
Yes, he's incredibly annoying, but he's also representing the people of West Virginia, of all places. Would you really prefer a 6-2 Supreme Court? I wouldn't.
Assuming you're a wage earner, none of it matters. The Democrats had a supermajority under Obama and all we got for it was more expensive health care, another 500 billion for war every year and a Republican SCOTUS nominee that he didn't even have the balls to fight for.
We have bipartisanship, and it's always there for the worst things. The US spending a trillion-plus dollars a year on war is a permanent thing because of bipartisanship. Abortion is no longer a right because of bipartisanship. You can legally be paid $7 an hour for whatever job you do every day because of bipartisanship.
But they'll make three trillion appear overnight to prop up your investment portfolio, or another trillion appear overnight for a so-called tax cut.
You can pretend someone's better because they're in a blue suit, but 40 years of that thinking is why things are never going to get better in this country.
That's what I'm saying.
Isn't this the state of Blair Mountain, John Brown's Raid, and October Sky?
Where's the neo Woody Guthrie coal miner's daughter type looking to run a grass roots campaign on justice for the opiate-pushing and transitioning fossil fuel work to sustainable energy?
Someone who wants to bring stable, modern jobs to WV and revitalize it while protecting the natural splendor that tourists seek.
He's up for reelection in '24. Someone more sensible should primary this lump of coal. Gotta find that person and build that campaign though. And learn from Beto's mistakes.
Lmao Blair mountain was 102 years ago my guy. John Brown was 160 years ago. And October Sky is about one dude who became a rocket engineer. So not sure why that was included. You seriously think the political landscape of west Virginia hasn't changed in the last 100-160 years? You aren't going to find anyone better than manchin who stands a chance in west Virginia
Still. It will remove a talking point from the "democrats have the majority but they still won't pass , so you better vote for republicans" people. When all democrats but those two voted for it, and all republicans voted against it.
I'm not a political analyst in any capacity and this is pure conjecture, but my gut is telling me that he's getting info that enough West Virginia republicans are willing to vote independent to carry him over the line in the next election. So, walking that out, if republicans are willing to break straight ticket voting to keep a "half-flipped democrat" in office, I think that speaks more to the fracturing of their voting bloc than the acumen of an individual politician who seems to be seeking office for personal gain over party goals. I'm very interested to see how much money is spent on this race this/next year.
Oh no, the Dems have now lost the Senate and will be unable to appoint any judges, the importance of which I think has become abundantly clear over the past several years, but at least, for a brief moment, we got a little ideological satisfaction.
Last month Manchin further stirred Democratic concerns with an appearance in the early-voting state of New Hampshire with the “No Labels” group, where he mulled starting a third-party presidential campaign in 2024, challenging Democratic President Joe Biden. Having a third-party candidate would “threaten” the two major political parties, Manchin said.
He thinks WAY too highly of himself. He might complicate the Republican vote, but he wouldn’t threaten Biden.
He's much more likely to pull from republican voters than democratic. So he should go ahead and try. All of these conservatives who don't like Trump wanting to run as third party candidates, thinking they'll get support from the Democratic voters... Kind of makes me laugh.
I think you underestimate the number of conservative Dems or "centrists" who would take the opportunity to not vote for Democrats.
"Moderate" Republicans are the exact opposite of that. They will hold their nose and toe the line. Do you know how many times I heard "I don't like him but..." back in 2016? Literally any excuse to vote R and they will justify it.