Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.V., is one of the last bipartisan figures in an increasingly polarized Congress.
Breaking with Democrats is part of Manchin’s brand. So much so he boasts on his website, “Since 2011, no Democrat currently serving in the Senate has split with the party more often.”
An ad from Manchin’s 2010 U.S. Senate race is likely to give radicals in the Democratic Party a heart attack. In it, he touts a National Rifle Association endorsement, recalls when he sued the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and fires a gun at a copy of a cap-and-trade bill.
Manchin also voted to confirm former President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch, supported the Keystone XL pipeline and is a vocal opponent of Medicare for All.
So, what should Democrats make of Manchin? Is he basically a Republican?
A record of bipartisanship does not make Manchin a turncoat. If Democrats are to be a party with a broad coalition large enough to effect significant change, it must welcome figures such as Manchin.
Welcoming Manchin into the party does not mean every Democrat must agree with his position on the environment or the Second Amendment. Welcoming Manchin means understanding that we live in a representative democracy, and as a result, Manchin won’t vote the same as a senator from California.
Trump carried over two-thirds of the vote in West Virginia in the 2020 presidential election. Is it fair to expect a West Virginia senator to support Medicare for All if his constituents don’t?
The easiest tactic in politics is to play armchair quarterback from a safe seat. Something tells me a moderate is the best Democrats can do in West Virginia — Democrats should be grateful Manchin is so good at winning elections there.
But, when a senator often votes with the opposing party, it can overshadow all the times they stood with their own.
Obamacare likely would have been repealed in 2017 had a Republican been in Manchin’s seat. Manchin voted against the 2017 Republican tax bill, voted against former Secretary of Health and Human Services Tom Price and former Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos’ cabinet confirmations and voted to convict Donald Trump in the 2020 impeachment trial.
Despite what he has done for his party, many Democrats don’t appreciate or support Manchin. His eagerness to work with Republicans is a point of contention and concern. After all, why is he working with the other team?
With a 50-50 split in the Senate, bipartisanship is going to have to be the way going forward. The filibuster looks like it is here to stay for now, and Democrats must adjust accordingly.
Being open to bipartisanship does not mean Democrats must cave to every Republican’s demand. It simply means recognizing the glass is half full. Expecting strict party discipline is not realistic for moderate Democratic senators who live in states that lean Republican.
Compromise — not rigid ideological politics — is how these senators win elections.
Sadly, compromise and bipartisanship have become dirty words in American politics. Some would rather see someone on their side “own” the opposition on Twitter or a cable news show than work with a legislator from the opposing party to pass a law, which is a congressperson’s primary job.
If Democrats want to enact meaningful change, they must build coalitions and remain in power by winning elections in various places, not just the comfortably blue coasts. This point becomes abundantly clear in the Senate, where each state gets two representatives, regardless of population.
Rarely does a party control a sizable-enough majority to ignore the other side completely while also passing significant legislation. A 50-50 split — or a 51-50 majority including Vice President Kamala Harris’s tie-breaking vote — is certainly not enough to bulldoze Republicans.
Therefore, winning in West Virginia means supporting a man who likes coal and the NRA. That is the cost of holding the majority necessary to pass legislation and avoid Sen. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s obstructionism.
Instead of railing against Joe Manchin’s evil compromises, the left should thank him for delivering a coalition that can imperfectly govern.
Joe Manchin doesn’t have to care what anyone thinks about him. He is the most powerful person in Congress right now. He can hold up a vote on a bill, or get the bill passed. He can threaten to change parties and take away the tie-breaking vote of Kamala Harris. He could have the committee chairmanship of his choosing if he switched parties. He’d be reelected in his home state if he switched. He won’t switch because it would take away the leverage of threatening to switch.
So whine away. He doesn’t have to care and I guarantee you he DOESN’T care.
Having Joe Manchin in the Senate with a 50/50 split is almost perfect for a moderate President who doesn’t want to be dragged too far to the left. Joe Biden will find a way to work with Manchin and if McConnell does too much obstructing, I bet Manchin will do the right things. He’s still a Democrat and as mentioned his hard lines appear to only be guns and energy.