Manchin won't run again

[redheadbaker]

Gift article wapo.st/3suSowP

Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.) announced Thursday he would not seek reelection in 2024, leaving the door open for Republicans to flip a seat in a solidly red state.

“After months of deliberation and long conversations with my family, I believe in my heart of hearts that I have accomplished what I set out to do for West Virginia,” Manchin said in a video posted to X. “I have made one of the toughest decisions of my life and decided that I will not be running for reelection to the United States Senate."

[penguingrrl]

Shit. While he is problematic, this means that seat will officially flip.

[mcsangel2]

That is definitely a problem for Democrats.

[pixy0stix]

We can't keep saying, "They need to retire" while also saying, "they can't retire because we'll lose that seat."

Not anyone here, but just the opinions I've read today.

[heyyounotyouyou]

It might (probably will) flip but he was barely a democrat anyway.

[seeyalater52]

Nov 9, 2023 19:42:12 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

We can't keep saying, "They need to retire" while also saying, "they can't retire because we'll lose that seat."

Not anyone here, but just the opinions I've read today.

Strong agree. And he is a major problem for the Dem caucus so while obviously having a Republican in the seat is worse in terms of party control it isn’t quite the same as a true vote flip.

Fundamentally, though, he’s retiring in large part because he was going to lose the seat, so his retirement isn’t really the main issue here.

[4speedy]

Nov 9, 2023 19:57:18 GMT -5 heyyounotyouyou said:

It might (probably will) flip but he was barely a democrat anyway.

I am/was as bothered by him as much as anyone because of his shenanigans over the years and how he held up legislation.  But I respect that he always remained a Dem when it probably would have been much easier for him to flip sides.  At least it allowed dems to keep control of the senate at various times.

ok, that’s about the only good thing I can say about him as he retires.

[seeyalater52]

Nov 10, 2023 8:01:55 GMT -5 4speedy said:

Nov 9, 2023 19:57:18 GMT -5 heyyounotyouyou said:

It might (probably will) flip but he was barely a democrat anyway.

I am/was as bothered by him as much as anyone because of his shenanigans over the years and how he held up legislation.  But I respect that he always remained a Dem when it probably would have been much easier for him to flip sides.  At least it allowed dems to keep control of the senate at various times.

ok, that’s about the only good thing I can say about him as he retires.

Yes to keeping control of the senate bc that’s a big factor but let’s not pretend like Manchin is some magnanimous self sacrificer for taking the harder path of staying a Dem. He did it for the attention. Being one or one of 2-3 big talk moderate Dem holdouts has given him a national spotlight for a decade. He would have been nothing notable in the Republican caucus and he’s not a guy who is interested in being forgotten after he retires (which is a big factor in him choosing to retire now too!)

He’s self interested as hell and he got a lot of mileage out of this schtick.

[neverfstop]

Eh- we can do better. He was marginally useful, but also did a lot of terrible things and held up a ton of green/environmental progress.

[livinitup]

Nov 10, 2023 8:41:34 GMT -5 neverfstop said:

Eh- we can do better. He was marginally useful, but also did a lot of terrible things and held up a ton of green/environmental progress.

This says it ALL !!

[livinitup]

They took it down since this morning but I was irrationally irritated by NBC headlines “Moderate Democrat, Joe Manchin To Retire”. They took out the “moderate” part in their coverage.

“Wing ding, Yatch living, Not-a-democrat-at all, Joe Manchin To Retire” would have scored more points for accuracy.

[scout8]

I'm thrown by the comment that we can do better and the likes. Do people really think we can do any better in West Virginia? If so, how? Unfortunately, I don't think we can.

[msmerymac]

Nov 10, 2023 8:41:34 GMT -5 neverfstop said:

Eh- we can do better. He was marginally useful, but also did a lot of terrible things and held up a ton of green/environmental progress.

Okay but he lives on a house boat on the Potomac called Almost Heaven, which is kind of amazing.

[kadams767]

Nov 10, 2023 11:23:56 GMT -5 scout8 said:

I'm thrown by the comment that we can do better and the likes. Do people really think we can do any better in West Virginia? If so, how? Unfortunately, I don't think we can.

I’m not thinking of WV when I hear/say that we can do better.  I’m thinking that we can deploy fundraising money and campaigning efforts that’ve been spent on Manchin to other states and better candidates.  I agree, however cynical, that Manchin was the best we’d ever do in WV, and it was barely good enough at that.  I think there are more strategic focus races with better candidates that could be winnable that need these resources.

[neverfstop]

I think we can find another senator, in WV or somewhere else, that will be a better part of the democratic caucus without all the baggage and horrible trade off's we get with Manchin. Won't be easy or but the GOP has terrible policies and terrible candidates...

The primary is May 14, 2024. The filing deadline is January 27, 2024.
ballotpedia.org/United_States_Senate_election_in_West_Virginia,_2024

Only currently listed D candidate.
ballotpedia.org/Zachary_Shrewsbury

Oh gawd....there's rumors he may do a 3rd party POTUS run. I thought I couldn't hate him more...

[basilosaurus]

Nov 10, 2023 5:54:58 GMT -5 seeyalater52 said:

Nov 9, 2023 19:42:12 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

We can't keep saying, "They need to retire" while also saying, "they can't retire because we'll lose that seat."

Not anyone here, but just the opinions I've read today.

Strong agree. And he is a major problem for the Dem caucus so while obviously having a Republican in the seat is worse in terms of party control it isn’t quite the same as a true vote flip.

Fundamentally, though, he’s retiring in large part because he was going to lose the seat, so his retirement isn’t really the main issue here.

I agree with both these thoughts, but also numbers matter. Even if they're terrible, they give the majority leader. Even though they actively undermine there individual votes.

So fuck him and simena (who's now I) but it gave us Schumer and not McConnell