Why isn't Manchin a Republican?

[Rockefeller GOP]

Because he's a Democrat.  Susan Collins is a Republican.  John Barrow is a Democrat.  Andrew Jackson was a Democrat.  Abraham Lincoln was a Republican.

Throughout history, they've been two rival teams.  Period.  You pick your team, and most politicians remain with that team for life even if some members of the team's coalition changes.  I'm guessing Manchin's father and grandfather were Democrats, and that's reason enough for him.  Good for him, because that's how I feel about being a New England Republican.

[Rockefeller GOP]

Because he's a Democrat.  Susan Collins is a Republican.  John Barrow is a Democrat.  Andrew Jackson was a Democrat.  Abraham Lincoln was a Republican.

Throughout history, they've been two rival teams.  Period.  You pick your team, and most politicians remain with that team for life even if some members of the team's coalition changes.  I'm guessing Manchin's father and grandfather were Democrats, and that's reason enough for him.  Good for him, because that's how I feel about being a New England Republican.

Somehow

The point is that she IS.  People can register as whatever the heck they want; they don't have to march lockstep with their party platform like a mindless sheep and refusing to do so does not make one a "RINO" or "DINO."

[Rockefeller GOP]

Don't forget that even most Democrats in West Virginia are more conservative than the national party.  Manchin is an excellent example of this.

Just as Republicans in Maine are more liberal than the national party, but they're still Republicans and are no less "Republican" than a conservative from Utah.  Republicans more or less unite on pro-business fiscal policies and Democrats generally unite on fiscally populist policies; other than that, there's a wide range of views, and that's been the case for several decades ... actually pretty much since the 1850s...

[Rockefeller GOP]

Just as Republicans in Maine are more liberal than the national party

Are there exceptions?  Sure.  I'm not immature enough or bored enough to counter your picture with one of Susan Collins or Olympia Snowe, though.

[Rockefeller GOP]

Manchin will not flip if the Republicans take the Senate he would be the odd one out in the caucus. He voted for raising the minimum wage, equal pay, funding Obamacare and on most Democratic bills brought up on the Senate floor.

Exactly.  People get so hung up on social issues and cultural issues.  Manchin is as much of a Democrat as any other.

[Rockefeller GOP]

Manchin will not flip if the Republicans take the Senate he would be the odd one out in the caucus. He voted for raising the minimum wage, equal pay, funding Obamacare and on most Democratic bills brought up on the Senate floor.

Exactly.  People get so hung up on social issues and cultural issues.  Manchin is as much of a Democrat as any other.

No, he's one of the most conservative Democrats in every category.
http://www.progressivepunch.org/members.htm?member=412346

Sure, but he isn't more conservative than any Republicans on the whole (though he may be to the right of Murkowski, Kirk, Portman, and Collins on LGBT issues alone).

That's because the Republican party is just right-wingers now.

He literally just named multiple sitting Senators who aren't, in any sense of the word, "right wingers," but whatever you'd like to believe.

[Rockefeller GOP]

Manchin will not flip if the Republicans take the Senate he would be the odd one out in the caucus. He voted for raising the minimum wage, equal pay, funding Obamacare and on most Democratic bills brought up on the Senate floor.

Exactly.  People get so hung up on social issues and cultural issues.  Manchin is as much of a Democrat as any other.

No, he's one of the most conservative Democrats in every category.
http://www.progressivepunch.org/members.htm?member=412346

Sure, but he isn't more conservative than any Republicans on the whole (though he may be to the right of Murkowski, Kirk, Portman, and Collins on LGBT issues alone).

That's because the Republican party is just right-wingers now.

He literally just named multiple sitting Senators who aren't, in any sense of the word, "right wingers," but whatever you'd like to believe.

Kirk, Portman, Murkowski, and Collins are right-wingers.

Wow.  Okay, all Democrats are left-wingers.

[Rockefeller GOP]

You know, if anything the Democrats are overall more moderate than the Republicans and by corollary will generally will have more moderate Congressional caucus than the GOP.  I think Manchin being in office is a function of that.

Maybe on fiscal issues...  However, there seem to be far more socially moderate Republicans in Congress than there are socially moderate Democrats.

[Rockefeller GOP]

The last 6 years have wiped out many socially moderate Democrats, unfortunately. If there's ever a Democratic congressional wave, I expect them to make a comeback.

We're not getting those rural/exurban southern districts back.  

Certainly not with the attitudes given forth on this forum, which seem to suggest those voters are too backward to vote Democrat (ignoring that they did for decades).