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.
Agreeing with is not the same as voting or publicly campaigning for. These are all things that happen within the political theater, where of course it's hyper divided.
If you had a conversation with Manchin or many a Republican, you'd most likely find they agreed on most things, but since they're both bound by playing a political game the outcomes are vastly different.
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"