In deep red West Virginia, Biden's $3.5tn spending proposal is immensely popular

[BeckyDem]

Working-class people – even Trump voters – understand the Build Back Better plan will benefit them

Zack Harold
Tue 28 Sep 2021 05.00 EDT

Elizabeth Masters isn’t a natural Joe Biden supporter. A self-described conservative who lives in Parkersburg, in deeply Republican West Virginia, she said she registered to vote in the last election so she could cast a ballot for Donald Trump.

Masters says she doesn’t approve when people “just stand for a handout” – she doesn’t think the United States should be spending money on undocumented immigrants, for example – but says anything that will “help people that are trying to do for themselves, I’m all for it”.

To that end, Masters has found herself supportive of efforts by the Biden administration to pass a $3.5tn budget proposal that is full of ambitious plans to help poorer and working class Americans on a range of social issues from childcare to healthcare.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/sep/28/west-virginia-joe-biden-spending-plan-popular

[comradebillyboy]

1. But they won't vote for any Democrat other than Manchin.

There aren't any secret socialists in West Virginia. They aren't going to move left no matter what may be in their best interest.

The fact that a bill may be popular does not translate to Democratic votes in places like West Virginia.

[Botany]

2. This is one of the reasons why the republicans are against it ... it will be popular and the ....

... republicans know that. They want Americans to hurt and Manchin is against it because it moves
us away from fossil fuels.

[BeckyDem]

3. Precisely. The efforts to thwart Manchin in a primary should not be

presumed to be impossible either.

[kacekwl]

4. They may not vote for a Democratic candidate

but Manchin is there so they can certainly be called upon to put pressure on him to implement those plans.

[lees1975]

5. Bernie Sanders could have carried West Virginia

a few years ago when he went down there for a town hall in a small coal-mining community in the southernmost county of the state to talk about rural health care access. Maybe this is how the Democrats could win back West Virginia.
https://www.wvpublic.org/news/2017-03-13/mcdowell-as-a-microcosm-bernie-sanders-goes-all-in-with-chris-hayes

[BeckyDem]

6. Yep. +1