Joe Manchin lets his true colors show once again

[SticksnStones]

In an interview with Wolf Blitzer on CNN discussing trump picking fights with judges, Wolf asks what advice would you give to the President?

Manchin responds:

" There are three branches of government and they have to work together. My advice to Trump is if we want to move forward with our agenda you can't pick fights with the judiciary."

Exactly who's agenda? And what parts of that agenda?

At one point in the interview he starts..." If the Democrats...uh, my party" he corrects...

Hey Joe, who's side are you on ?

I know WV is a tough state for a Dem to hold, but geez...

[mindem]

1. I fully expect him to flip over to repuke

He's just too cozy with them.

[SticksnStones]

2. Barely tries to hide it anymore

I honestly don't see why he still calls himself a Dem.

We can't primary this guy and still hold the seat? His act is getting rather stale ~

[NurseJackie]

5. They'd elect a republican if we put a real Democrat on the ballot. On the bright side ...

... even though he's a Republican (basically) the "D" after his name could make a difference when it comes to who has control of the Senate.

If a "fake Democrat" gives us that majority, I'd prefer to have him rather than a real Republican in his seat because our real Democrat couldn't win.

[SticksnStones]

10. This is a state that went for Dukakis!

Politics in WV leaned toward the Dems for decades until Bush 2.

It voted Carter over Reagan, Clinton both times...and Sen Byrd, a dem held the seat for 57 years.

The Democratic Party has a history in that state. Why are we so sure a real Dem with a targeted jobs message can't beat out a Dem lite?

[NurseJackie]

14. I have little faith that such a thing would ever happen again...

... and I'll just leave it at that.

[BannonsLiver]

15. Ideologically he's already there

I'd love to ask Manchin what makes him think he's a Dem. Crickets would ensue.

[vi5]

3. Shhhh!!! Don't say anything bad about Machin....

Something something big tent, any dem is better than a Republican even if he or she completely undermines the agenda of the Democratic party.

Apparently each senator gets to vote against the party line 25% of the time, which means if factor in all 40 some and their individual constiuencies that we have means we never have to pass anything good or get anything done even if we have the power and that's o.k. because.....reasons!

[SticksnStones]

4. 'Because...reasons'. Of course. That makes sense. 😜

Are there NO other high profile Dems in that state to primary the guy?

[dsc]

6. yeah WV is just teaming with liberal Democrats

[SticksnStones]

9. But why is that?

Is it entirely because of the hold that coal has over the voters minds?

[vi5]

19. They don't have to be Dennis Kucinich style Democrats.....

....but I'm sure there are enough "Not Joe Leiberman" style democrats to field someone.

And if not, let's start trying to pick off some blue state Republicans so when the time comes that we take over we're not relying on this clown to make or break our majority.

[redstateblues]

7. I would take him over either of my Senators in TN

He's not great but would you rather have Corker or Alexander? I didn't think so

[SticksnStones]

8. Of course I wouldn't want a Republican to have the seat.

But is that it? Are those the only choices? Is there no back bench of Dems in WV?

That's the best we can do?

[redstateblues]

11. There are not a bunch of talented back benchers in TN.

We've got some long time Congressmen but none that could win a statewide election. It's hard for some blue staters to realize what the politics are like in a backward Southern state.

[SticksnStones]

12. Yeah...I get that...

I'm reading more about WV politics now...52% identify as evangelical. 53% are pro life and only 16% support gay marriage. Add in coal and guns and I get it...

[SaschaHM]

16. WV Dems are not like all Dems.

Politicians like Manchin are the probably the last thing that's stopping them from becoming Republicans.

[crazycatlady]

21. Trump won WV with 70% of the vote

So he's probably the best Dem we can get in that state. I'd take him over a Republican any day.

(He's not in a Joe Lieberman situation-- Lieberman was just a piece of shit taking it out on his party that he lost a primary. His state is a blue state).

[vi5]

20. And when we have a supermajority, fine...

...but I can see now what's going to happen is that we'll squeak to a majority and then this fool will become "the last honest man" and the one most willing to pander to Republicans in an effort to block any Democratic efforts.

As we've learned with how easy it is to dismantle and destroy Democratic gains, when too many of those gains have to be watered down to cater to the whims of conservative red state Dems (something that never seems to be a concern for blue state Republicans), we just cannot afford to have guys like this be any kind of swing vote.

[adigal]

13. Call him...tell him you will send every penny you can to primary him

Use WV zip codes if you feel like it. Use an accent. Don't tell me this isn't right. Fuck that. This is for the life of our democracy.

[SaschaHM]

17. I mean, 40% of WV Dems voted for a Prison Inmate over Barack Obama in 2012.

The current Democratic governor is a coal mining and agriculture businessman who was a Republican until 2015.

My guess is that West Virginia Dems are pretty happy with Manchin right now and the ire that he causes the more liberal members of the tent.

[SticksnStones]

18. Local politics is dominated by Dems. State level turned R control in 2016 after decades of Dems

It's a state that's hard to understand their definition of Democrat...and its slipping further and further away...

[SticksnStones]

22. The state is slipping further and further away...

And maybe Manchin is the canary in the coal mine (forgive the possible pun).

I guess I'm wondering here, what is it that makes a state vote Dem for most local seats, vote Dem for decades and then from Bush 2 on becomes redder and redder. Is the trend reversible? If so, how?

But this thread -- I'm learning ~ I'm reading more about the state and learning.