Manchin: I'm open to supporting Trump in 2020

[Lunabell]

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by JudyM (a host of the Latest Breaking News forum).

Source: The Hill

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) says he is open to supporting President Trump's reelection bid in 2020.

"I'm open to supporting the person who I think is best for my country and my state," Manchin told Politico, insisting that he would support any candidate from either party. "If his policies are best, I'll be right there."

"I'm with him sometimes more than other Republican senators are with him," he added. "Washington Democrats are making it more difficult for me to be a West Virginia Democrat."

Trump easily won West Virginia during the 2016 presidential election with almost 70 percent of the vote, which was his largest share of the vote in any state.




Wanna bet he turns red after November midterms?





Read more: https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/391022-dem-senator-im-open-to-supporting-trump-in-2020

[Pachamama]

1. Nice Joe, Nice....

[Iliyah]

2. time to switch then.

bye

[only my opinion]

52. No, we may need his vote to organize the Senate

Whatever party controls the leadership controls the agenda.

[djg21]

66. Do you really think he'll stay in the party or

Continue to caucus with the Dems if we take the Senate? Not a chance. At this point, the DNC should be looking for a viable candidate to primary him and he should be expelled from the party. He’s a dumbfuck.

[only my opinion]

71. He does not have to face the voters for another six years after this election.

In his state, you have to be a social conservative to be elected. However, it is no problem if you are an economic progressive. He will caucus with whatever party offers him more. The DNC does not pick candidates, the local party does, and the local party is interested in only one thing - winning elections. Not ideological purity.

[C Moon]

3. It must be Joe Lieberman in a mask.

[LuvNewcastle]

33. Just in time for a scary Halloween.

[True Blue American]

36. You said it.

Compare Manchin and Heitcamp.

I know we should not say anything about Democrats but this guy just proved he is not one. Joe Lieberman,indeed.

[k-dub]

4. West Va is a lost cause

Sorry to say. I live in Western PA and go through/into WVA all the time. There is absolutely NO center of enlightenment there. Texas has Austin, Alabama has Auburn, etc...West Virginia is just a hayseed utopia.

[Tiggeroshii]

46. Google Richard Ojeda.

He is only one of a few examples of why it might not be so lost.

[elleng]

5. "Washington Democrats are making it more difficult for me to be a West Virginia Democrat."

This is NOT good for our party folks, as we NEED 'majority' status.

[Lunabell]

6. If by majority status you mean ones who vote Democrat.

Then yes. But he votes mostly with rethuglicans.

[elleng]

9. 'Majority' in the Senate,

for important procedural reasons.

[Tiggeroshii]

10. No. The ability to control thr agenda and hold up votes on justices.

If he switches after we win back the senate we could not block judges.

[Tiggeroshii]

7. Oh what the fuck

....

[roamer65]

8. I'd gladly trade Manchin for Murkowski.

[True_Blue]

15. +1000

[Iliyah]

11. t-rump is destroying the country and WV will feel the blunt of it.

If he doesn't see it, oh well.

[Midnight Writer]

28. Exactly. Joe wants "What's best for the people of WV"? Trump ain't it, Joe.

Coal is an obsolete technology. It is better for the people of WV to adapt than to rot.

[Lucky Luciano]

73. Fuck 'em. Let them rot. They proved their worthlessness. nt

[SCRUBDASHRUB]

13. Manchin is turning into the Zell Miller of WV.

Don't let the door hit you in the ass, Joe.

[True Blue American]

37. Oh, I forgot Zell

Was from WV!

Think how long Senator Byrd served.

[CottonBear]

50. Zell Miller was from Georgia.

He started out in politics as a Southern Democrat and he died as a Republican.

[True Blue American]

51. Thanks for that.All I really remember is

Zell challenging Mathews to a duel.

[CottonBear]

58. You are welcome!

Just the other day, a fellow DUer told me that the picture of G.W. Bush holding the My Pet Goat book upside side in the classroom on 9/11 was photoshopped! Apparently, the book was always right side up. I never knew that. I still need to research the photoshopping incident.

There’s just too much to keep up with these days. That’s why I love DU! We can give friendly reminders, advice and corrections to our friends here.

Have a great day!

[MBS]

57. very apt parallel.

ugh.

[RockRaven]

14. Manchin only matters now if Dems thread the needle to 51 Senators in 2018

Otherwise, F*ck this guy...

let's all give him a "bye, Felicia" and get it over with...

[Solly Mack]

16. Uh...He is a "Washington Democrat" same as all (Congressional) Democrats in Washington.

Since that's the only qualification for being a "Washington Democrat".

Oh, I know what he is trying to say - it's the same thing Conservatives always say to attack the Democratic Party - implication being that Congressional Democrats aren't serving the people back home and have become part of the Washington establishment.

Manchin is saying his fellow same party Congress members of the Democratic Party are, somehow, hurting him because he's not a "Washington Democrat" and is what? Some regular Joe Blow Democrat who don't know nothing about being a Democrat in Washington?

Why attack his fellow party members using the exact same attack right-wingers use?

Oh, right. He has to pander to the ignorance and prejudice of West Virginian voters in order to get re-elected.

He has to validate their ignorance instead of expecting them to learn any better. To learn a few facts.

Democrats in West Virginia will be more inclined to vote for Manchin if he supports Republican ideology from time to time. That is what people actually mean when they say he has to say and do certain things to get re-elected.

I fully understand the need to retain Democratic seats. I do.

I just believe in calling it what it is - pandering to the lowest common denominator. Because when you pander to and validate people who think Trump should be supported or Republican ideology should be advanced, that's precisely what you are doing.

[suffragette]

35. Exactly so, Solly. We had some issues with similar ones here in the other Washington.

At one point, two of our state Senators jumped over to to caucus with the Reoublicans. Basically, they enabled a coup, since people had voted for a Democratic majority, but instead had a Republican led Senate.

[Trust Buster]

77. Excellent post

[forgotmylogin]

17. "...his policies" ? (n/t)

[Initech]

18. Well then be prepared to be replaced, then, Joe.

[still_one]

19. While this is as disgusting and outrageous as it comes, I find it curious that this is being pushed

as a story at this particular time, one month away from midterms.

I also find it curious this story originally came from the s**t stirring rag politico, who has had more than their share of stories that try to stir up division among Democrats

My thoughts are, stay cool, don't fall into this bullshit, there will be plenty of time to go after Machin after the midterms.


It is NOT a coincidence that this is being pushed right at this time. I don't trust Machin, but I also never trusted politio


This close to the midterms it is pretty obvious there influences trying to sabatouge the Democrats


I hope we aren't suckers and play into their dirty tricks, because that is exactly what this is

In reality Machin is actually not saying a damn thing.

[Lunabell]

20. It's a quote from Manchin himself

Not made up by a shit stirring rag. I'm pretty sure Manchin will be a Republican on November 7th.

[still_one]

22. yes it is a quote from Manchin, and he is actually not saying a f**king thing. It is

an ambigious statement

i am not defending the asshole. As for you believing he will be a republican November 7th, I will take that bet. He likes the attention he is getting, which he wouldn't get if he became a repuke

[Trust Buster]

78. Ambiguous statement ? How is Manchin claiming that Washington democrats are making it hard

For Manchin to be a democrat from West Virginia “ambiguous” ?

[still_one]

27. Someone asked that question, he didn't just come out of the blue with it. His answer is actualy

a non-answer, but I have no doubt, the entire purpose of this report is to cause the progressives to harasses Machin in hopes that he will leave the Democratic party, which I don't believe he won't do for the reason I gave


They played us against each other in 2016, and they are trying to do the same bullshit just before the midterms

Think with your minds not with your emotion. We are being played again and again

[Iliyah]

23. Tru dat

And I don't think he would damage the status of the party until they are in a strong majority.

[True Blue American]

39. I do hope you are right

Going to check sources on this one.

[still_one]

41. I didn't say Machin didn't say what he said. What I am saying is that Machin essentially said

nothing. In other words he said he didn't know who he would vote for in 2020, but he could vote for trump or someone elese

While even acknowledging that he would consider voting for trump is deplorable, my point is it does little good at this time just before the midterms

There will be plenty of time to address this after the midterms

We need to think with our minds instead of emotion, especially if there is a chance that we can get the majority in the Senate, though I would admit that doesn't look good

I don't believe Manchin will leave the Democratic party because he likes the attention it brings him

Unfortunately, he is not up for reelection until 2022. Ideally in 2000 we can tell him to FO, but to do it at this time serves us no advantage.

We need to start thinking in ways that are to our advantage.

There is a lot that can happen in two years. Let's see what the midterms bring us first

[True Blue American]

42. I understand

Was not questioning, just trying to understand. I posted below that he may be saying that to pacify the yokels that voted for Trump to win election.

The Hill is reliable, but they do lean right at times.

No way I was questioning you.

[YOHABLO]

21. The DNC needs to tell him if that's his position, we no longer want him in the Democratic Party.

GET OUT !!

[still_one]

30. First someone asked that question, he didn't just volunteer it out of the blue. Second

his answer actually didn't say a damn thing.

We are being played just before the midterms like we were in 2016.


It is really way past time that Democrats think with their minds and not emotions


There is plenty of time to go after Machin AFTER the midterms.


If it turns out that somehow we take the Senate without him, by all means go for it, but the Democratic Party does not tell people who can or cannot be a Democrat. People choose whatever party they want to be afiliated with

[elmac]

24. He's going to have to compete with Kim Jong-un for tRumps love

and affection, maybe he could start wearing a maga hat for starters.

[elmac]

25. if he was a DU member and posted that crap he would get the boot

so its time for little joe manchin to get the boot.

[Lunabell]

26. Fuck yeah!

This!

[samplegirl]

29. He never was a

democrat plain and simple.

[Wabbajack_]

31. Any Reason we should bother to support this guy?

He's ahead in the polls for some reason.

He did vote against repealing Health Care, right?

[True Blue American]

43. We do not want the guy

Running against Manchin.

[rpannier]

56. Yep he's ahead

He's been hammering his opponent, successfully, on three issues: opioids (his opponent was a lobbyist for them and, I think, has had a lot of investments in them), Manchin supports pay raises and public schools and health care for pre-existing conditions (an issue which suddenly his opponent has decided to support)

[jpak]

32. Primary this motherfucker

yup

[delisen]

34. Unless there is something you can do to stop him, why waste time supposing?

Let's focus on what we can do between now and November 7 to put us in the best possible position on Nov 8.
1. Increase seats as much as possible in House and Senate.
3. replace all hand-wringing behaviors among ourselves with developing and distributing real information, real goals, and real action.

Other countries have been in the position we are in. Some of them defeat the fascist oppressors; some don't. It is up to us.

[sakabatou]

38. Tch, somehow, part of me isn't surprised

[True Blue American]

40. Question here

Is Joe Manchin saying things like this to make sure he wins with the constuency he has in WV?

He knows the fools admire Trump. I am sure there are many Educated people in WV, but the majority admire Trump.

Is this possible? You know some will say anything to get elected. Yet Trump is making fun of him.

[Tobin S.]

45. Somebody here said Manchin votes with Trump 61% of the time.

So he's not just pandering.

[DFW]

44. How odd

Bobby Byrd and Jay Rockefeller seemed to be quite able to be West Virginia Democrats.

What's your problem, Joe? Need a few pointers?

[Maxheader]

47. And of course we know that every prezidential candidate will..

honor their word.

[hlthe2b]

48. I guess he need only challenge Chris Matthews to a duel to make the transition complete

(a la Zell Milller, aka turncoat in a straightjacket)

[njhoneybadger]

53. Except the house he claims he doesn't recognize will be exchanged for a shit house

[democratisphere]

49. Good news!

No one wants a traitor in their midst!

[oberliner]

54. This article is from June

[RandiFan1290]

67. Woop de fucking doo? nt

[oberliner]

75. Not a big deal - but people might have thought it was from today since it was just posted

When in reality it is almost four months old.

[shanny]

55. Is it all right now

to call this guy the unprincipled lowlife ass-kisser he is? He took that vote to protect his own weasel ass, not his country, not even his party.

Scum (look at the daughter he raised).

[rpannier]

59. Not latest Breaking News

Unless it is June 6th or June 7th

[HopeAgain]

60. So when people say there is no difference between the parties...

they can point to the Democratic toleration of this man. If we don't want a left version of the Tea Party taking over, we need to at least be solidly left.

Does the Democratic party support this DINO financially? If they do it has to stop.

[Squinch]

61. Manchin can be in our crosshairs for 2024. Right now he's another "D" toward majority.

[watoos]

62. United we stand, divided we fall.

Manchin hasn't been the best Senator for Dems but maybe when he sees the blue wave he will come around?

Our pushing him to become a Republican has far worse consequences.

[liberal N proud]

63. I hope he is not getting anything from the Democrats at this point

[Snotcicles]

64. How does he explain that Bernie Sanders won every county (all 55)

in the last election primary in West Virginia? He needs to be replaced.

[Lonestarblue]

65. I think Manchin will lose in November.

Not because of Republicans but Democratic women. He seems to be one of the older, out-of-touch guys who believes that women will vote the way their husbands tell them to, and he needed to appease Republicans. But Democratic women are ANGRY. Manchin’s vote for Kavanaugh may keep many women from voting for him, though they won’t vote for a Republican either. As tight as this race is, even a few thousand women could make the difference.

[Buckeyeblue]

68. There should be a population requirement for a state to be a state

These small states tend to elect the loony birds into office. I know, what about Ted Cruz??? Maybe I should say small states and Texas. But in any case, these small states with their two loony senators are killing the country.

WV has 1.8 million people. Little industry. It's a beautiful state but you never hear about the state promoting tourism. The only thing you hear about WV is that there seems to be a proportionally higher rate of opioid addiction.

Maybe it would be in WV's best interest to reconnect with Virginia. Because as a stand alone state, it seems unsustainable.

If they could join with KY (probably culturally a better fit) or even PA.

My overall point is that if a small state seems to be mired in poverty, maybe that state is unsustainable and should merge with another. This is what businesses do.

[Funtatlaguy]

69. D.C. and Puerto Rico should be states but GOP will never let that happen.

[vsrazdem]

70. So, I'm confused.

We are supposed to support Joe because he is a Democrat, but he can support Trump for president if he thinks he is the better candidate. WTF.

[MrModerate]

72. So, whether Manchin wins or loses . . .

West Virginia will be returning a Republican to the Senate.

[UncleTomsEvilBrother]

74. We should remember...

...the "D" next to the names is how committee chairs are determined. Manchin's "D" is important as it gets Dems closer to having the Senate and being able to select Chairs.

I would take Rand Paul and Cruz as D's if it meant that the Democrats could control the Senate and determine Judiciary selections.

Politics is not a nice game. The sooner we learn that we are going to have to compromise, the better off we'll all be.

[Perseus]

76. Then why does he run as a Democrat?

He must be voted out, he is just a puppet of the republican party pretending to be a democrat.

[JudyM]

79. Locking.

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