Mike Luckovich for May 05, 2021

Yes, Joe Manchin can be maddeningly frustrating for those of us on the left end of the big-tent spectrum of the Democratic Party.

I live in California — born and lived here all my life. I am a PROgressive on the far left — supported Bernie in the 2016 primary and Elizabeth Warren in the 2020 primary (but enthusiastically voted for the Democratic nominee in the general election both years). If Manchin were in our bright blue state, we would throw his sorry @$$ out in a second. But he is not in California. A Kamala Harris or a Jerry Brown from our state, or an Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez or an Elizabeth Warren or a Bernie Sanders from the east coast, could never win a seat in West Virginia — a state that Trump carried in 2020 by a margin of 41.7%.

One of the most liberal opinion columnists for the Los Angeles Times is Virginia Heffernan, who happens to have come from West Virginia and knows the state well. While she is as frustrated with him as I and all left-wing Democrats are, she explains Joe Manchin in a way that those not from her state can only understand with the help of a road map, which she provided in a recent op/ed:

https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2021-04-09/joe-manchin-west-virginia

Yeah, Manchin is very frustrating, but if he were to leave, he would be replaced by a solid Trumper and McConnell would be senate majority leader.

Joe Manchin’s supporters are like a cult…

…“The Manchin family!”

He’s a PITA but he is from West Virginia f’gawdsake. He has to posture for the people who voted for Trump to prove that he’s acceptable to them. And you gotta admit, if YOU were a: a politician and b: in a position of power for the first and likely only time in your life, you’d probably take some pleasure from it.

(Sorry about suggesting that you might ever sink to the level of “politician” but I wanted to make a point here)

Now that McConnell has stated outright that no Repub will vote for any bill Biden wants to get passed, Manchin better step up to the plate and $%^T or get off the pot!

To obstruct progress!

Set on the gas and run over the protestor, JOE . . . it’s legal now in many RED states . . . .West Virginia might be one of them . . ./S

If Biden is going to preach inclusivity, listening to Manchin is a good start.

Sigh.

This country needs structural reform quickly . . .its sad if this chicken blocks it. . .hes got to be nearing retirement age anyway. I doubt if he represents the average West Virginian well . . .most likely just the right mix of monied interests

Cool. President Biden owns and drove a 1963 convertible ’Vette.

Yes, Mr. Mike, we have to bite our tongues when Miner Joe takes the stage but he is walking a thin wire tightrope to stay in office. It is too bad that he can’t distinguish votes that directly benefit his constituency from policy and foundational decisions that the same constituency cannot comprehend because they do not want to learn.

That’s a ’67 427 corvette. Wish I still had mine.

Why does one person get to thwart the majority?

Why’d the chicken cross the road? To be the guest of honor at a democratic dinner…

Manchin seems like a character from “Veep.” Essentially a B Ark guy, he’s discovered a way to increase his power by several orders of magnitude and is exploiting the, uh, stuffing out of it. It’s a dream come true.

Needs or wants?

Manchin is a RepubliKlan who runs as a Democrat because West Virginia prefers to elect Democrats.

Or perhaps he still has at least some principals.