Joe Manchin, the senior senator from West Virginia is either relishing his moment in the sun or is thoroughly at a loss as to how to effectively utilize his newfound leverage resulting from a 50/50 Senate. The senator has sent so many mixed signals on what he will and won’t support, any rational observer would be rendered perplexed by the seemingly incessant contradictions.
Over the last 50 years, West Virginia has undergone a sweeping political transition. The state was once a reliably democratic stronghold forged largely on the strength of the union movement and progressive initiatives implemented during the Roosevelt, Kennedy and Johnson Administrations. But as the coal industry collapsed, chemical plants either curtailed operations or closed down completely and out migration accelerated, the GOP made significant inroads to the point that the West Virginia of today is not only a solidly red state, but one in which Donald Trump is profoundly revered.
With that in mind, Manchin’s penchant for timidity as he tiptoes his way in and around the legislative process is somewhat understandable. However, playing it safe while the Biden Administration is endeavoring to reverse Trump’s vandalization of our government’s institutions is in effect, senatorial malpractice. Manchin doesn’t seem to realize that he is missing out on a once in a lifetime opportunity to leave an enduring legacy not only his state, but the nation as a whole.
West Virginia is starved for investments in roads, bridges, airports and other much need infrastructure projects. The smart approach for Manchin would be to resist any focus on reelection and go all in on the Biden agenda, particularly on infrastructure. Afterall, he will be 75 in 2024 and will have had a distinguished public service career. By supporting the American Jobs Plan, new projects that can be of immense benefit to the citizens of West Virginia will be underway or completed and the credit will be his to claim. Then if he decides to run for reelection, it can be argued that his prospects will be far better than they are now.
But undertaking that bold approach would take a level of resilience that Manchin doesn’t possess. So that puts the job of making Joe Manchin an inconsequential figure into the hands of the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee (DSCC). The leadership team can’t repeat the mistakes of the 2020 cycle. Better candidates have to be recruited. Losses is North Carolina, Maine and Iowa shouldn’t have occurred and were a reflection of the weaknesses of the nominees. In addition, better polling and voter identification efforts need to vastly improve if the Democrats want to expand their majority
The tactics employed by Joe Manchin, whether reasoned, thoughtless or somewhere in between, are largely a result of his fixation on a potential 2024 election matchup with the current and term limited Republican Governor Jim Justice. The irony is that Jim Justice was more supportive of the American Rescue Plan than Manchin and it stands to reason that he wouldn’t hesitate to get out in front of the senator on parts of Biden’s infrastructure effort in order to capture the political high ground in their state.
For whatever reason, Manchin doesn’t know how to play the upper hand he’s been dealt. It’s not to be the fly in the ointment, rather it should be used to drive a bold agenda that will create opportunities not only for West Virginians, but for citizens throughout America. And as far as a much-feared party switch is concerned, Manchin can’t beat Justice in a GOP Primary. So as much as he might not recognize it now, Joe Manchin needs the Democratic Party as much as the party needs him.