WV Senator Joe Manchin Teases Idea of Leaving Democrats and Becoming an Independent

Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia recently revealed to a talk show host that he is considering leaving the Democratic party and becoming an independent ahead of the 2024 election.

The Hill reports:

Manchin ‘thinking seriously’ about leaving Democratic PartyWest Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin (D) says he is “thinking seriously” about leaving the Democratic Party and declaring himself an independent before the 2024 election, when he will have to decide whether to run for a fourth Senate term or wage a third-party bid for president.Manchin, who earlier this year described himself as an independent Democrat, told West Virginia radio host Hoppy Kercheval on Thursday that the Democratic brand has “become so bad.”“I’m thinking seriously. For me, I have to have peace of mind, basically. The brand has become so bad — the D brand and R brand. In West Virginia, the D brand because it’s [the] national brand. It’s not the Democrats in West Virginia, it’s the Democrats in Washington.“You’ve heard me say a million times I’m not a Washington Democrat,” he said.Pressed by Kercheval, the host of “Talkline” on West Virginia Metro News, whether he’s really serious about becoming an independent, Manchin said, “I would think very seriously about that.”

Frankly, I don’t understand why Manchin has not already switched parties to become a Republican. The Democratic party’s green agenda is in direct opposition to the most important industry in his state.

Matt Margolis writes at PJ Media:

Manchin added that he’s been thinking about this for a long time, but hasn’t made any decisions. Of course, there have been rumors of Manchin considering leaving the Democratic Party as far back as October of 2021. Manchin dismissed the rumors, saying, “I can’t control rumors, and it’s bull****.” However, he did acknowledge that he’s approached “every day” by Republicans about switching parties and has said that it probably would be “easier” to join the GOP than remain a Democrat.But he’s not even talking about joining the GOP now. If he leaves the Democratic Party, he’d become an Independent.This isn’t particularly surprising, because Manchin is likely to lose reelection as a Democrat. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) left the Democratic Party last year but still caucuses with the Democrats. There’s little reason to believe that Manchin wouldn’t do the same.The only difference is that as an independent, Democrats could run their own candidate in 2024, potentially giving Manchin a shot at winning a three-way race as an independent.

Like most politicians, Manchin is likely to what is best for Manchin.

His constituents deserve a leader who will do what’s best for them.

Tags: Democrats, Joe Manchin, US Senate, West Virginia

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