Joe Manchin has been helping the GOP out quite a bit over the past year. He’s proven that he’s a moderate Democrat capable of rational thought. He’s not one of the sheep who will do whatever it is that Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer want. He has morals, and he’s willing to be outspoken in order to protect the country.
As the Democrats pushed to spend trillions of dollars on infrastructure and on the reconciliation bill, it was Manchin who wanted to reduce the spending. And, he knew that he held a valuable position. The Senate majority isn’t that strong with the Democratic Party. They need him to vote with them — and if he doesn’t, it’s a point of contention.
He’s been seen as the Democratic-Republican that we’ve needed. He may be listed as a Democrat, but he was the voice of reason. He was what allowed us to breathe a little easier knowing that the Democrats hold all of the control.
While the GOP is hoping to change things during the midterm elections, we have to rely on the moderate senator from West Virginia to do what he can to maintain integrity within the Senate.
Now, it’s reported that he’s going to make a move that we’ve all been expecting…or at least hoping for.
Apparently, according to a news report from Mother Jones, Joe Manchin has an exit strategy in place. In the event that the rest of his party, including President Biden, doesn’t agree to his terms on the reconciliation bill, he’ll declare himself an “independent” instead of a Democrat.
The “build back better” plan is a joke — and it seems that Manchin is the only Democrat who is willing to admit it out loud. It won’t build America back better. It will build the country into a financial debt while creating racially charged lines that divide the country even more so than it is right now.
Joe Manchin has said that he’ll declare himself as “American Independent.” There are already a few in the senate who are categorized as independent, including Bernie Sanders of Vermont. However, Sanders only calls himself an independent because labeling himself openly as a socialist would be political suicide.
Of course, there are some who say that this is a move so that Manchin can stomp his feet and get his way. He wants the bill to be cut back dramatically — from $3.5 trillion down to $1.75 trillion. It’s a lot of money for the liberals to cut — and many won’t do it because they don’t care enough if Manchin walks away.
The progressives only care about getting their way. Pelosi has said repeatedly that she doesn’t plan to negotiate. It’s basically her way or nothing. And, if she’s not careful, she will get exactly what she has asked for — nothing. It would certainly be a slap in the face for Biden, too, since this is his big move as president. He feels that this is the only way to get his ratings turned around. But, it won’t help. He’s already put the last nail in his coffin, and bankrupting America isn’t going to help him win any more points.
The Democratic Party is a mess and Joe Manchin knows it. Whether the Dems succumb to his threat or not, Manchin should think about leaving. Though, if he really wants to make sure that he wins his re-election in the deep-red state of West Virginia, he should come all the way over. There’s no need to stop in the middle as an independent. There’s plenty of room in the GOP, and Republicans would welcome him with open arms.
