Senator Joe Manchin’s announcement today that he is a “no” on the BBB came as no surprise. But as the ‘aw shucks’ narcissist that he is, he has really enjoyed the attention he has gotten the last year, which is more than in his entire career.
It is clear that the only thing that Joe Manchin gives a shit about is his own wealth and power (the man who lives on a yacht and owns a Maserati). Given how poor and desperate so many West Virginian’s lives are, and how the BBB would help so many of them, one would think that Manchin would find a way to “yes” in order to help them. One would also think that it would be smart politically. But this is also a state that Donald Trump won by over 30 points, and Manchin owns a coal company and takes a lot of money from oil companies.
So, I think his long game plan is to pretend to be a responsible “moderate” politician and then see who controls the Senate in 2022. If the Dems do well, he will remain a Democrat. If they don’t, he’ll switch to the Republicans. And ultimately, if he chooses to remain in the Senate, or run for Governor again, my guess is that he will eventually switch because West Virginia has become so Red.
The problem for the Democrats is that they can’t alienate Manchin too much because they need his vote to get the judges and other nominees through the Senate. The truth is that we needed to win a few more Senate seats in 2020. Cal (can’t keep your dick in your pants) Cunningham in North Carolina comes to mind. And I’m still mystified how Susan (Brett Kavanaugh ‘settled law’) Collins got reelected. Perhaps, they needed a real Mainer to run against her, not someone who didn’t grow up there.
And more galling is that Democrats are going to get blamed for not passing this bill that will help so many people, rather than blaming the Republicans who unanimously oppose this much needed aid to their constituents, including the other senator from West Virginia, Shelly Moore Capito.
Now why the people in one of the poorest states in the union would support politicians who don’t want to help them and, in fact, prevent them from getting the help they need, pretty much comes down to race, religion and right-wing media brainwashing, but that is a subject for another time.
P.S. I do hope I am wrong and that they find a way to convince Manchin to support the bill, but I’m not holding my breath.