Joe Manchin is comfy

[rlegro]

.. comfy voting against the voting-rights bill and other badly needed American reforms, because without that act, Republicans may make themselves the permanent majority in both houses of Congress. Of course, that would throw Manchin into the Democratic minority. Right? Right, but then all he needs to do -- and I daresay will do -- is switch affiliations and become a Republican, maintaining his power (although at a lesser level) and his grip on West Virginia and its economy.

He's a millionaire thanks to his past coal-industry machinations (Manchin-ations?). So he'll be a reliable GOP vote against climate action, against anything that seems to threaten the fossil-fuel industry, and of course anything that would jeopardize his ownership of a nice, ritzy yacht and that snazzy Maserati. He is, after all, a Republican at heart. It's just that West Virginia by tradition has voted Democratic thanks in good measure to the very labor union power Manchin quietly opposes. But he's too big there to be harmed by forcing the state to bow to Republicans, just as he will. Only he'll profit while the electorate will get screwed some more. This modest, economically challenged, and healthy-light state is Manchild's playpen and he'll have even greater rein over it as a member of the everlasting GOP-stoppers.

[RKP5637]

1. Joe Manchin aka GOP, pretty reliably! Votes against whatever benefits the majority of the populace.

Some might call him a "mole." I also call him an asshole!

[2naSalit]

3. +1

[justhanginon]

4. An "assmole" perhaps?

[FoxNewsSucks]

7. That's it

[RKP5637]

18. Yes!!! n/t

[RKP5637]

20. Yeah! n/t

[TheBlackAdder]

16. That's how McConnell, Paul & the like keep their jobs. Make the state dependent on them.

.

They limit the progress of the state so people are locked in to getting socialism from others.

They don't want their residents to be able to improve their lifestyles, as they seem to be content where they are. If they did improve, they might just find they get better educated, get better jobs, the quality of the state improves and they don't need to be socialist takers anymore.

As long as they 'bring home the bacon', ie. steal money from others to pay for their their state's neediness, they will get re-elected time and time again.

.

[RKP5637]

19. Yep, bottomline, power and money for them and F the rest. And they keep the people ignorant

with their buzz words and trigger topics.

[Buckeyeblue]

2. Joe Manchin is the crazy uncle that is loved but not liked

Sometimes he ruins Thanksgiving other times you don't even know he's there. But it's unpredictable. So you hope for the best.

[RainCaster]

12. Not loved, not liked, simply tolerated

As long as he votes Dem at least 20% of the time- always on minor bills, we progressives put up with him. The idea that "we can't do better" keeps him in power.

[Wounded Bear]

13. It matters not that we can do better, it's that West Virginia can't...

[TwilightZone]

23. Try 75% with Dems, lifetime

https://projects.propublica.org/represent/members/M001183/votes-against-party/117

This year, he's voted with Biden's agenda 95% of the time, 2% higher than Bernie Sanders.

https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/biden-congress-votes/joe-manchin/

Yes, he blows it on the big stuff, but the claim that he votes more with the GOP is nonsense and always has been, yet it is parroted here constantly.

The idea that "we can't do better" is political reality. His state is +39 GOP.

The alternative is 0% with Dems, by the way. Some would apparently prefer that.

When you come up with a better candidate to win WV, let us know. The most-recent more-progressive (than Manchin) candidate lost by 43 points, in 2020.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_United_States_Senate_election_in_West_Virginia

[lapucelle]

24. Manchin votes with Biden 95% of the time.

Where does your 20% figure come from?

https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/biden-congress-votes/

If not for him, we would not control the agenda and the calendar.

In addition, without his vote, Biden’s nominees wouldn't ‘t have been confirmed.

[Demsrule86]

29. And no judges not to mention threatening to shut down the government and let

the debt ceiling be crashed...these people who suggest such things clearly have no idea how government works.

[LittleGirl]

5. We need to ask him

To leave the party.

[Rebl2]

6. Then we

lose majority. Want that? What I prefer is a democrat that could run against him and see him lose . That won’t happen though.

[Demsrule86]

30. No Democrat except Manchin can win a General...that is madess. We need more Democrats

and we can't punish anyone without destroying ourselves...please consider works before suggesting anything like that. No Democrat will ever win WVA in my lifetime. The bill went down and I fail to understand why it was even put on the floor. We need to work for the midterm and WIN big.

[Rebl2]

33. Basically what

I am saying. No other democrat could win his seat and we can’t ask him to leave the party like was suggested by LG. We do that we lose majority and no democrat would win against him.

[Demsrule86]

35. I am sorry...must have replied to the wrong poster...Mea Culpa!

[tritsofme]

8. Awesome idea! Let's make Mitch McConnell the majority leader!

[Demsrule86]

31. This is what is wrong with some ...they seem to hate Manchin who votes with us most of

the time more than McConnell who is openly saying he will end Medicare, Medicaid, ACA, and Social Security...with friends like this....well you know the rest. Democrats who don't agree with them must be destroyed even if it elects Republicans. It is beyond madness and I find it inexplicable.

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

32. And TFG Speaker of the House.

I'm sure he and the GQP are eager for Fat Donnie to get a head start on his reign of revenge.

[Demsrule86]

25. Seriously, we would lose the majority and he votes with us most of the time...I suggest you

consider that not one Republican voted for this bill. I can not believe such a comment.

[walkingman]

10. I just add him to my "always somebody that fucks up everything" list. Always.....

[PatrickforB]

11. There was a piece in Rolling Stone, I think, that highlighted the

almost complete corruption of this man. Though he has a (D) behind his name, he really doesn't seem to even care about the Democratic agenda. Climate change, his vote AGAINST codifying the right to abortions, his refusal to lower the age of Medicare eligibility - we must always judge politicians on what they DO, not what they say.

He says he is a Democrat, but he has also said (October 2021) he would be happy to switch to independent if he 'made Democrats uncomfortable.' But, at that time, he claimed he would still 'caucus with the Democrats,' just like Bernie and Angus King.

Right. Well, you be the judge concerning his character, or lack thereof.

What's that about 'if it quacks like a duck...?'

[haele]

14. He's a Democrat because he can't win as a Republican.

So he pays lip-service to the party to keep himself in a spoiler position for the parts of the Democratic agenda that might not play so well in West Virginia or affects his pocketbook.
He sees his main power in the Democratic party, not in the Republican party, so we're stuck with him to keep our majority unless we can elect more Democrats.

Haele

[PortTack]

15. I think he has one more nasty trick in mind for the dems

Come midterms, if we pick up 1-2 seats, which is expected, he will switch parties throwing us back to a 50/50 split.

I hope I’m wrong

[Demsrule86]

26. He will not switch parties. And if we pick up to seats ...it wouldn't matter.

[PortTack]

37. I sure hope you're right!

[nevergiveup]

17. I find Kyrsten Cinema more disturbing.

Manchin is and always has been a West Virginia thug. Cinema seems to, before our very eyes, transformed into a nut case.

[Alhena]

21. Same, and we wouldn't confirm judges if there were no (D) next to Manchin's name

[Demsrule86]

28. He has voted for every judge and we do need him...even if we get more Democrats.

The more the merrier and we could never do better in West Virginia.

[Demsrule86]

27. She started out a s fucking Green...enough said. She is a Democrat and she voted for the

'codify Roe' bill. I will not criticize her here.

[paleotn]

22. And that's all he cares about.

[BlueCheeseAgain]

34. There are 47 Republican senators from states that are bluer than West Virginia

Those are the ones that we need to work on replacing. Not a Dem senator from the second reddest state in the country.

[Demsrule86]

36. That is absoutely correct...clearly, you have a great deal of brains and common sense...

I see you have been here a while but I don't think, I ever welcomed you so welcome.