538: Liberals Would Be Foolish To Primary Joe Manchin

[Heisenberg]

I voted yes, but I am a Republican, so I want the seat to flip. Still, I kind of like Joe Manchin, so this isn't on my priority list.

[Heisenberg]

If there were a viable WV Prog bench from which someone could emerge to primary Manchin, I would be all for it. 

Sure, Manchin represents WV. Vote for guns and coal all you want.

But breaking ranks on procedural votes - cabinet appointments that leadership doesn't like, SCOTUS nominees, etc - I find completely unacceptable.

Unfortunately, since the Dems in WV are under so much pressure, I don't think there's anyone viable to primary Manchin and go on to win the general.

Not sure why the judicial part was included. Most West Virginians would prefer Trump judges over Obama judges, I'm sure. Manchin seems far more likely to support Gorsuch than Collins or even Murkowski, and he is to their right on things like Planned Parenthood.

[Heisenberg]

Did you see Bernie's town hall in WV? The Democratic party's neoliberalism is what is killing it in WV.

"Neoliberalism" or "neoliberal" has lost all meaning at this point. These people want universal health care, yes, but once you get into the specifics of the plan, they recoil with horror. It's no coincidence that Bill Clinton and the 3rd Way-lead Democratic party easily won WV in 1992 and 1996, but then as the national party moved left, the state voted GOP at increasing margins. These people are not going to magically turn into flaming liberals if Bernie Sanders is the Democratic nominee. If the Democrats really want to win West Virginia, they must run politicians opposed to any forms of gun control, and who will at the very least pay some lip service to King Coal.  

Robert Byrd a liberal (he was one from the 1980s on ) and won easily in WV.

Of course at that point it became all about seniority.