Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) claims that the Democrat brand has “gotten so terrible” and is “seriously” thinking about switching parties.
Manchin claimed that Democrats in D.C. had damaged the reputation of the Democratic Party.
“I am seriously considering. For me, fundamentally, I need to be at peace,” he said to West Virginia radio DJ Hoppy Kercheval. “The D and R brands’ reputations have deteriorated significantly. The D brand is used in West Virginia since it is a recognized brand. Democrats in Washington are to blame, not those in West Virginia.”
He said, “You have heard me declare a million times that I am not a Washington Democrat,” adding that he is “quite seriously” thinking about defecting from the Democrat Party.
“I’ve been mulling that over for a while. I haven’t made any choices about my political course in any way. I want to confirm that my voice is indeed mine alone.” The West Virginia Democrat stated, “When I say something, I want to have the ability able to talk honestly regarding basically the extremes of the Democratic and Republican Parties that are damaging our country.”
Senator Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), who left the party just over eight months ago, wouldn’t be the very first Democrat to do so. However, the senator from West Virginia might possibly take a similar action to that of Sinema and continue to work with Democrats, aiding Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s (D-NY) efforts to secure a Democratic majority.
Additionally, he stated that before the end of the year, he would decide whether to seek re-election to the Senate to serve a fourth term or to the presidency as a third-party contender with the “No Labels” affiliation. A bipartisan, centrist organization called No Labels intends to gather $70 million to support an independent presidential contender in the 2024 election.
Manchin might run for the presidency as a “graceful exit” out of Congress’s upper house, where he might lose in a state where probable rival West Virginia Governor Jim Justice (R) is ahead of him by 22 percent, according to Democratic strategist David Axelrod.
Manchin asserted that despite the fact that former President Trump presently tops the Republican primary field, his hypothetical third-party candidacy wouldn’t tip the election in the party’s favor.
“The Democrat party that I myself grew up with was accountable,” Manchin added, “I said they are socially sensitive and financially accountable, they have nowhere to go. So, Hoppy, assuming we can start a movement that individuals can relate to, we might have a voice.”
