Is there a little trouble in paradise?
If we based the reaction of Joe Manchin when he was asked about backing Joe Biden for 2024, I would have to say there is.
When Manchin was asked about backing Biden for 2024, the West Virginia Democrat said he would prefer to wait to see all the players before committing to anyone, reports the Washington Post.
Not Just Yet
Manchin was doing the Sunday circuit this week when he was put on the spot about endorsing Joe Biden.
CBS News’ Margaret Brennan asked him, "Are you going to endorse Joe Biden if he runs for re-election?"
Manchin replied, "There's plenty of time for the election. This is the problem with America right now. We start an election every time there's a cycle coming up. The bottom line is, let's see who's involved. Let's wait until we see who all the players are. Let's just wait until it all comes out."
Asked if he would endorse President Biden for reelection, @Sen_JoeManchin says, "Let's see who all the players are."
And on his OWN political future, Manchin demurs: "I will make my political decision in December, whatever it may be." pic.twitter.com/h6VORasqCw
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) March 5, 2023
Manchin would be best served to focus on his own campaign and he knows it.
His party cut his legs out from under him during the last session, getting Manchin to cave on reconciliation as well as backing the Inflation Reduction Act in exchange for legislation that would have allowed a pipeline in West Virginia.
Schumer and Biden got everything they wanted from Manchin, but Manchin’s amendment was pulled from the legislation because of pushback among his fellow Democrats in the House, so, basically, he got screwed.
When Manchin was asked about his bid for re-election or possibly for higher office, he stated, "I'm not going to make my announcement for anything until the end of the year. I'm not going to make my decision about what my political position is going to be, or what I'm going to do for my political future. I won't do it until the end of the year. I've got too much to do now,” reports Fox News.
I feel pretty confident that if the GOP can get the right candidate in that position, they can flip that seat. Having said that, everyone in the party needs to accept the fact that if we get that seat, the individual filling it is going to side with Democrats from time to time.
West Virginia is very much a middle-of-the-road state, and the first duty of any elected official is to represent the wants of their constituents, and West Virginians do not always side with conservatives.
Point being, let’s find someone that we know is very clear in key issues so we know exactly what wins we will get from that seat, then not rip them to shreds when they dare to cross the line. We have to take a better approach to find candidates and not take a hardline stance.
Find solid conservatives that will represent their people properly, and let’s focus on the big wins and let the little losses just get brushed off our shoulders.
