Here’s a simple suggestion: Stop begging Joe Manchin to change his mind about, voter suppression, or the filibuster or. . .well, anything. As has been pointed out many times, conservative (i.e. mostly Repub plus two W.VA) politicians vote how their donors want them to vote. It is why Manchin paid that visit to Texas-based fossil fuel executives on July 16. The donors that Manchin visited are the same ones who support the extreme rightwing Texas governor Greg Abbott. That should tell you all you need to know.
So, if you really want Manchin to vote for some particular bill, identify his donors and make THEM tell him to do it. And one of his big donors is Exxon.
For example, if Manchin refuses to allow a filibuster carve-out, then every Dem and Independent could announce they will consider avoiding Exxon service stations for a year or two. Or at least until the next election in W.VA.
Marches and protests are great and certainly honorable. But the only thing that can come close to changing a conservative politician’s mind is that thing that is all yours: your choice of where you will spend your money.
