Manchin may be voting like a Rep but at least he caucuses with Dems.

[Kablooie]

If he switched parties Republicans would control the Senate and any chance for Biden to accomplish anything more, including a SCOTUS judge, would be eliminated, probably forever.

[BlueCheeseAgain]

1. He doesn't vote like a Republican.

He votes like a conservative Democrat. His voting record is far to the left of even Susan Collins.

[Polybius]

5. Not on abortion

Socially, he's more conservative.

[TexasTowelie]

6. His votes are also to the left of some who call themselves progressives. nt

[betsuni]

9. +1

[TreasonousBastard]

2. Everyone here seems to forget that he works for WV, not us...

We're lucky enough to pick up the pieces of his dual loyalties.

We would probably be better off working to bolster Dems in our own states and districts.

[BlueCheeseAgain]

3. That we have a Dem senator from a state where Trump won 70% of the vote is near miraculous.

[atreides1]

12. He's working for himself not WV

He's not working very hard...WV has an overall ranking of #47 out of 50 states.

#47 healthcare
#45 education
#48 economy
#50 infrastructure
#36 natural environment

On the bright side at least WV isn't one of the top 10 worst states to live in!

[AngryOldDem]

16. Question about this "working for W. Va." line.

Just finished reading Woodward and Costa’s “Peril,” and I have to say I was totally disgusted with Manchin’s playing both sides in the stimulus negotiations. He could have tanked it. Of course, his excuse to Biden was, “I’m working for West Virginia.” Is this a genuine belief of his, or just sanctimonious bullshit in order to keep the Dems by the short hairs, knowing full well that the Dems can’t afford to have him defect?

I’d be more than happy to see him go, but for the slim margin. I agree time is better spent shoring up the majority so we can show this asshat the way across the aisle.

[Nay]

22. To answer your question, it's sanctimonious bullshit. I know it goes against

the whole DU thing, but I can't stand that guy.

[leftstreet]

4. Why would he switch parties?

He'd lose all his power

[cstanleytech]

7. Why? One reason would be if it was likely to help him stay in office.

[Calista241]

20. The only power he'd lose

Is the ability to claim credit for any legislation that passes. Which can only happen as a Dem until 2022, since we control all three branches of government.

He'd have the same power within the Senate. I'm sure McConnell would give him the chair of any committee he asked for. Hell, they'd probably let him chair every committee with the possible exception of the Judiciary Committee.

[CentralMass]

8. Well he is blocking and or gutting provisions in key legislation

that the Democrats could pass if hw wasn't acting as a proxy for the republicans. Where is he when it really counts ?

[Mike Niendorff]

10. He has no future if he switches parties.

He wouldn't survive a Republican primary in his wildest dreams.

I wish more Dems understood this.

His *ONLY* path to retaining office is with the support of the Democratic Party and Democratic voters.

Could he run a suicide mission and switch parties? Sure.

But that's exactly what it would be.


MDN

[bottomofthehill]

17. He has no path to remaining in office the question for him is how does he want to be remembered

As one who saved democracy or the one who let it die. Either way, He is out in a few years.

[Calista241]

21. Nah, he'd make a deal with the RNC and state Republican party

so that he could run uncontested provided he makes the appropriate commitments. Like not supporting a Supreme Court Nomination unless Repubs as a whole support the nominee.

If he's really going to run again in 2024, I would expect him to switch parties sometime mid / late next year. That way we can retain the Senate as long as possible, but he still gives the Repubs some face by flipping before we could potentially lose the Senate in 2022. Flipping after the Repubs hypothetically win the Senate in 2022 gives them no incentive to make a deal.

I'm praying it doesn't happen, but politics has made me jaded as hell.

[exboyfil]

11. The problem with having him in the party

Is that the Democrats have accountability but no power. I can hear the ads already - Democrats control the Legislative and Executive branches but can't get anything done.

It is better that we have the 50/50 split otherwise nothing will be accomplished, but we will need to be prepared for what is to come.

[Voltaire2]

13. He's already blocked significant progress.

He and Sinema forced giant cuts to both bills, and forced their delinkage, leaving the second bill in a limbo from which it may never exit.

The two of them have blocked this administration from doing anything that would change the narrative heading into the midterms, by design, and this will likely result in the loss of both houses.

So this caucus bit is at this point mostly irrelevant.

[Nay]

23. Exactly. nt

[JT45242]

14. If you ignore everything that never comes to a vote

Leadership in the Senate doesn't call for a vote if they know they will lose because manchin had THREATENED to vote with the rethuglican.

You don't miss any of the shots that you don't take. So, manchin can hide behind the handful of votes that do happen and never take heat for the ones that don't.

Like the house passed law that would codify Roe v Wade. It hasn't been called for a vote. If it did, every senator would be on the record. But no vote and everyone can not take the shot.

[Mad_Machine76]

15. So tired of him

If he’s gonna switch I wish he’d just do it and let the apocalypse begin. It would probably be the last we hear from him too.

[Efilroft Sul]

18. Manchin caucuses with the Democrats but refuses to answer the call of democracy.

His ego will bring majority rule and the Biden administration crashing down around him. Let's all remember to thank Manchin for caucusing with the Democrats and his deep, abiding love for the filibuster that enabled Republicans to establish permanent minority rule across the land. They couldn't have done it without you, senator.

[MineralMan]

19. Please look at his voting record before posting such things.

He doesn't vote like a Republican. He votes with Democrats almost all the time. Please do your homework before posting.