Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia has benefited from waiting to reveal where he stands as the swing vote in a chamber closely divided between Democrats and Republicans.

He’s taken the same approach when it comes to the next phase of his political career: The moderate Democrat has teased possible retirement, a run for reelection to the Senate or even a presidential campaign in 2024 — possibly as an independent candidate.

During a multi-day trip to West Virginia’s capital this week, the 76-year-old expressed growing frustration with the polarized U.S. two-party system.

  • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    72
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    1 year ago

    I agree with him that the two party system is broken, but we don’t need more so-called centrists. We already have a center-right party in the Democrats.

    • MelodiousFunk@kbin.social
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      40
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      edit-2
      1 year ago

      We also don’t need yet another self-obsessed septuagenarian calling shots that will have ramifications long after they’re dead. Especially one who owes their wealth and influence to fucking coal.

  • Baron Von J@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    61
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    1 year ago

    During a multi-day trip to West Virginia’s capital this week, the 76-year-old expressed growing frustration with the polarized U.S. two-party system.

    Then use your position in the Senate to pressure the state legislature and Governor to reform your state’s election process.

    • spider@lemmy.nz
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      34
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      1 year ago

      the 76-year-old expressed growing frustration with the polarized U.S. two-party system.

      …which, of course, Manchin is all too willing to exploit.

    • uis@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      2
      arrow-down
      5
      ·
      edit-2
      1 year ago

      At least it’s not 700,000,000$ yacht that president somehow has, while it would take him 6000 years to get such insane aboumt of money in presidential salary.

  • Ensign_Crab@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    43
    arrow-down
    2
    ·
    1 year ago

    If Manchin peels off enough centrists that he acts as a spoiler, centrists will blame progressives anyway.

    • crusa187@lemmy.ml
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      3
      ·
      1 year ago

      Honestly, progressives will be blamed no matter what happens.

      Would love to see progressives break away from Dems and try for a legit 3rd party run to spite this. We’re long overdue for the corporate wing of both parties to converge into the new GOP, and with MAGA imploding it seems the time is right.

    • Baron Von J@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      11
      arrow-down
      2
      ·
      1 year ago

      I think the situation we have with these tiny majorities is exactly because of the two-party system we have. Anybody in his state who doesn’t want a hard-right MAGA Senator knows they have to vote for him as long as he’s the Democratic nominee.

    • theragu40@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      10
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      1 year ago

      Ok but the two party system is why he can be a spoiler. He might be a dickhead, but he isn’t wrong that our first-past-the -post election system (which begets two party races) is a huge problem.

            • theragu40@lemmy.world
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              1
              ·
              1 year ago

              Probably.

              I should point out that RCV wouldn’t at all prevent people from running “spoiler” campaigns like this, it would actually encourage them. But they wouldn’t actually be spoilers the way they are now. They would just allow people a way to vote for candidates that more closely align to their actual beliefs without that also meaning that the lesser of evils would get a de facto vote out of it.

              I think it would be disastrous for the GOP in particular, but honestly even Democrats are often against RCV because it would remove many of them from power as well.

        • Ensign_Crab@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          1 year ago

          The Mice once called a meeting to decide on a plan to free themselves of their enemy, the Cat. At least they wished to find some way of knowing when she was coming, so they might have time to run away. Indeed, something had to be done, for they lived in such constant fear of her claws that they hardly dared stir from their dens by night or day.

          Many plans were discussed, but none of them was thought good enough. At last a very young Mouse got up and said:

          "I have a plan that seems very simple, but I know it will be successful.

          All we have to do is to hang a bell about the Cat’s neck. When we hear the bell ringing we will know immediately that our enemy is coming."

          All the Mice were much surprised that they had not thought of such a plan before. But in the midst of the rejoicing over their good fortune, an old Mouse arose and said:

          “I will say that the plan of the young Mouse is very good. But let me ask one question: Who will bell the Cat?”

          It is one thing to say that something should be done, but quite a different matter to do it.

          –Aesop

  • TransplantedSconie@lemm.ee
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    26
    arrow-down
    4
    ·
    1 year ago

    There are three things that are the problem:

    1: Citizens United

    2: Past the Post

    3: Apathy in far to many voters who literally could care less but are the first to bitch about the outcomes.

    Fix the first two and you right the ship.

    Fix the last one and finally fix the propeller and the rudder.

    • Semi-Hemi-Demigod@kbin.social
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      12
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      1 year ago

      Fix the first two and the last one will go away. People are only apathetic because companies own politicians and tons of voters in solid districts don’t make a difference.

      • TransplantedSconie@lemm.ee
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        5
        arrow-down
        3
        ·
        1 year ago

        The last one I blame on civics not being taught in school, and I’m 100% positive thats by design (looking at you GQP)

        Kids in high school need to have a full blown class on their government starting freshman year till they graduate, so they learn how government is supposed to function and their roll in maintaining it. That would fix so much that is wrong in this country.

        • Semi-Hemi-Demigod@kbin.social
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          10
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          1 year ago

          I took AP Civics in high school, and participated in a mock legislature at our state capitol for four years. The way our government works is absolutely nothing like what I learned.

  • Semi-Hemi-Demigod@kbin.social
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    12
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    1 year ago

    I’m looking forward to all these independent runs splitting the conservative vote and giving Biden an easy re-election.

    • Everythingispenguins@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      1
      arrow-down
      2
      ·
      1 year ago

      That only works if they run to the right Manchin would run as center right. This could really be an upset. Remember that the election will be decided by just 10/20 thousand people in a few States. Where you will see a one or two percent difference in the Republican and Democrat votes. Peeling off a few thousand votes from either candidate could be a real upset. Don’t lie to yourself this will be just as close as the last probably closer.

      • Semi-Hemi-Demigod@kbin.social
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        3
        ·
        1 year ago

        the election will be decided by just 10/20 thousand people in a few States

        I love how we both know this and yet still consider the US government to be legitimate.

  • Astroturfed@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    13
    arrow-down
    3
    ·
    edit-2
    1 year ago

    Someone really needs to unalive this massive piece of shit. If he runs, we all know why. He’s hoping to ruin Biden for his rich doner buddies.

    His frustration with the two parties being so divided is it makes it harder for him to fence sit and take bribes from both sides. This breathing sack of human excrement is just upset he can’t be a greasy ass old school politician voting for whichever side has deeper pockets.

    • smitty825@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      5
      arrow-down
      4
      ·
      1 year ago

      I’m curious who you’d want to better represent people from West Virginia? Trump won the presidential vote ~69% to ~30% in 2020 (and by a similar margin in 2016). If Manchin retires, he’s going to be replaced by a MAGA republican. Even though he is far to the right of the typical Democrat, he’s really the best the Democratic party can hope for from that state

      • Astroturfed@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        4
        arrow-down
        5
        ·
        edit-2
        1 year ago

        I mean, if I get to pick who represents west Virginia I’d pick… No one? It’s a fucking travesty that they get two senators the entire state has less people than most decent metro areas. They can share a senator with another cousinfucksville state. That’s my choice.

        • Okkai@lemm.ee
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          3
          arrow-down
          5
          ·
          edit-2
          1 year ago

          Interesting position. Seems very elitist and non-inclusive. Maybe that stance contributes to why rural areas in America don’t support the democratic party.

          • Astroturfed@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            2
            arrow-down
            2
            ·
            edit-2
            1 year ago

            Yes, thinking every vote should count equally is very exclusionary. They get two senators for 1.7M people. Multiple cities are larger than that. You expand that to metro areas to include the suburbs and there are states that have multiple cities with a higher population than WV.

            I’m sorry that I think every vote should count equally and don’t support the system that was built and modified to maintain slavery. The constitution was written by a bunch of racist, sexist, classist old white dudes 236 years ago. I think we can change some things to make democracy, actually work like it’s supposed to.

  • PeleSpirit@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    10
    arrow-down
    2
    ·
    1 year ago

    Sounds like he’s trying to make a deal with the d’s for the shut down. He’ll vote certain ways if they accept someone they want. He’s an old school Republican after all.

  • books@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    7
    ·
    1 year ago

    I mean he’s not wrong. The two party system is cracker jacks, but I’m not voting for coal joey.

    Rank choice, then introduce a viable third party.

  • BourneHavoc@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    1
    ·
    1 year ago

    Fucking great time to figure that out, Joe. I’m all for ranked choice voting and options like it, but he’s just talking about a third party option, which means we’ll just feel the negative effects of the party system more quickly, and possibly spoil the election to shoo in Trump for another term. We don’t need him running for a third party as though that’s the fix, we need to overhaul the voting system as a whole. Things like ranked choice, automatic registration of voters, voting at any location, etc (not to mention getting rid of the EC) would all significantly improve the voting system, and access to it.