West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin, a conservative Democrat, officially filed as an independent Friday. “My commitment to do everything I can to bring out country together has led me to register as …
The pragmatist argument for him was that he is probably the most progressive thing you’re going to get out of state that overwhelmingly voted for Trump.
Does he suck? Yes. But when he’s gone, that state is highly likely to vote R when an incumbent isn’t on the ballot. Progressives don’t win a lot of seats in West Virgina. The state senate and house is 90+% republican.
He’s a butt in a chair that allows Dems to have a majority and caucusing with the Dems prevents the GOP from controlling the legislation that is brought to the floor in the Senate. His voting record it’s shit. It’s only about 75% in favor of the most progressive stuff brought to a vote. The other dems vote with the party over 90% of the time.
Literally nothing has changed except for a single noun. He’s still caucusing with the democrats, so the Dems still have 51 / 49 control.
They’d still have control with 50 / 50 + Harris, but the tighter the margin, the harder it gets to move shit forward.
And that said, there’s not even much of a need to push stuff through the Senate in the next 6 months. The politicians are now in campaign mode, not legislative mode.
Manchin can call himself whatever he wants. It doesn’t really matter right now.
It’s called a majority because 51 out of 100 is a majority. 50+1 people caucusing for the DNC gives the more progressive party the majority leader’s gavel and control over what comes to the floor.
Manchin’s desk could be filled by gorilla in a top hat, but as long as that gorilla is caucusing with the Dems, then it is a vote for a Democratic majority leader.
You have two options:
a conservative + a seat counting for a GOP majority leader + very few votes in favor of more progressive legislation
a conservative + a seat counting for a DNC majority leader + an occasional vote in favor of more progressive legislation
Those have been the two options out of West Virgina. That’s it. Gravity is real, the world is round, and West Virginians put super conservative people on the ballot.
Most people that want him in that seat don’t want him for his politics. They want him because of grade school arithmetic.
When I criticize Democrats for getting so little of what they promise done, some apologist is quick to insist that the Democrats haven’t had a majority in the senate and that Manchin doesn’t count.
Now that someone’s saying that your god is imperfect, he’s crucial to what is conveniently a majority.
we need more democrats or people caucusing with them in office if you want to see more progressive legislation getting passed.
electing more democrats is MUCH easier to do in the swing states. Electing someone more progressive in a Trump +40 state is going to be damn near impossible
Does Biden have enough people caucusing with his party to win the majority leader gavel and prevent Mitch McConnell from dictating what gets brought to the floor? Yes.
Does Biden have enough progressives to get more progressive stuff passed? No. Two conservative democrats block that.
Arizona will be good place to fight for one of those seats, since Sinema is out and that is a swing state. West Virginia is NOT a swing state, and left leaning people need to look elsewhere for additional progressives. WV is redder than Superman’s underwear. The fact that they’ve elected anyone with a D is an outlier there.
The pragmatist argument for him was that he is probably the most progressive thing you’re going to get out of state that overwhelmingly voted for Trump.
Does he suck? Yes. But when he’s gone, that state is highly likely to vote R when an incumbent isn’t on the ballot. Progressives don’t win a lot of seats in West Virgina. The state senate and house is 90+% republican.
He’s a butt in a chair that allows Dems to have a majority and caucusing with the Dems prevents the GOP from controlling the legislation that is brought to the floor in the Senate. His voting record it’s shit. It’s only about 75% in favor of the most progressive stuff brought to a vote. The other dems vote with the party over 90% of the time.
And now he’s abandoned you, and you’re still defending him.
Literally nothing has changed except for a single noun. He’s still caucusing with the democrats, so the Dems still have 51 / 49 control.
They’d still have control with 50 / 50 + Harris, but the tighter the margin, the harder it gets to move shit forward.
And that said, there’s not even much of a need to push stuff through the Senate in the next 6 months. The politicians are now in campaign mode, not legislative mode.
Manchin can call himself whatever he wants. It doesn’t really matter right now.
We’re back to actually calling it a majority again because Manchin needs defending. Neat.
It’s called a majority because 51 out of 100 is a majority. 50+1 people caucusing for the DNC gives the more progressive party the majority leader’s gavel and control over what comes to the floor.
Manchin’s desk could be filled by gorilla in a top hat, but as long as that gorilla is caucusing with the Dems, then it is a vote for a Democratic majority leader.
You have two options:
Those have been the two options out of West Virgina. That’s it. Gravity is real, the world is round, and West Virginians put super conservative people on the ballot.
Most people that want him in that seat don’t want him for his politics. They want him because of grade school arithmetic.
Hey man, don’t forget to add some butter to that crustacean you’re roasting.
When I criticize Democrats for getting so little of what they promise done, some apologist is quick to insist that the Democrats haven’t had a majority in the senate and that Manchin doesn’t count.
Now that someone’s saying that your god is imperfect, he’s crucial to what is conveniently a majority.
The argument is usually
I’ve had people straight up tell me that Biden never had a Senate majority to work with, right here on lemmy.
Now Democrats magically have the majority their numbers indicate, and it’s all thanks to Manchin.
Nuance.
Does Biden have enough people caucusing with his party to win the majority leader gavel and prevent Mitch McConnell from dictating what gets brought to the floor? Yes.
Does Biden have enough progressives to get more progressive stuff passed? No. Two conservative democrats block that.
Arizona will be good place to fight for one of those seats, since Sinema is out and that is a swing state. West Virginia is NOT a swing state, and left leaning people need to look elsewhere for additional progressives. WV is redder than Superman’s underwear. The fact that they’ve elected anyone with a D is an outlier there.