The New Zell Miller

[Fuzzy Bear]

It's not 1994 anymore.  There are not scads of Democrats who you would think were prime candidates to switch parties and bolt the national ticket as there were back then.

Personally, I think Manchin is the new Zell Miller.  He'll switch parties and endorse Trump, probably at some point in early 2020.  He's the only one really worth having, as far as being able to actually do something for Trump.

Webb might, but I doubt it.  Lieberman might, but McCain was his pal, and I can't believe Lieberman appreciates Trump's trashing McCain.  Cuellar has been a Bush-supporting Democrat, but could be a fresh Hispanic face for the Trump Team. 

What do folks think here?

[OSR stands with Israel]

Is there even proof Webb supported Trump in 2016.


All people point to that one video where he said he may

[AndyHogan14]

I actually foresee Manchin becoming more liberal/progressive as time goes by. By all accounts, he did not want to run in 2018, but did so because the Democratic leadership begged him to run so they would not lose the seat. Because of this, I expect him to retire in 2024. If he does plan on retiring after this term, there will be no backlash against him from moving to the left (even slightly) because he will never again run for statewide office in West Virginia. Even if he does not move to the left, I would be legitimately shocked if he switched parties—Murkowski becoming an Independent and caucusing with the Democrats is more likely (and that is extremely unlikely as well). For everyone else, who the hell cares?

[Fuzzy Bear]

Is there even proof Webb supported Trump in 2016.


All people point to that one video where he said he may

Webb's public statement was that he wouldn't vote for Clinton, but he might vote for Trump.  After the election, he made some positive statements regarding the incoming President, but did not confirm that he voted for him.

I believe that Webb voted for Trump in the privacy of the voting booth, but wishes to preserve plausible deniability.  He took the posture that FL Panhandle Rep Bob Sikes (D-Crestview) took in t968, when he said, "I'm voting the Democratic ticket, but I'm not asking anyone else to."  Webb bolted (I suspect) and voted for Trump, but he never asked anyone else to.

[Lord Admirale]

Jim Webb.

Manchin will more than likely step to the left for the next six years and retire in 2024. He'll never be a Republican. People don't understand that for some reason.

[OSR stands with Israel]

Is there even proof Webb supported Trump in 2016.


All people point to that one video where he said he may

Webb's public statement was that he wouldn't vote for Clinton, but he might vote for Trump.  After the election, he made some positive statements regarding the incoming President, but did not confirm that he voted for him.

I believe that Webb voted for Trump in the privacy of the voting booth, but wishes to preserve plausible deniability.  He took the posture that FL Panhandle Rep Bob Sikes (D-Crestview) took in t968, when he said, "I'm voting the Democratic ticket, but I'm not asking anyone else to."  Webb bolted (I suspect) and voted for Trump, but he never asked anyone else to.

yah but that video was from April or May so I am not sure


While Webb made positive statements , I would say they seemed more optimistic than anything

[Blair]

It's not 1994 anymore.  There are not scads of Democrats who you would think were prime candidates to switch parties and bolt the national ticket as there were back then.

Personally, I think Manchin is the new Zell Miller.  He'll switch parties and endorse Trump, probably at some point in early 2020.  He's the only one really worth having, as far as being able to actually do something for Trump.

Webb might, but I doubt it.  Lieberman might, but McCain was his pal, and I can't believe Lieberman appreciates Trump's trashing McCain.  Cuellar has been a Bush-supporting Democrat, but could be a fresh Hispanic face for the Trump Team. 

What do folks think here?

If you think that Manchin is the next Zell Miller, I'd suggest you need to be a bit of a deeper dive.

To begin with, if Manchin was going to do a 'Zell Miller' he would have done in 2017- and either taken a cabinet position, or run as a republican and not have to spend 18 months with the political kidney stone of running as a Democrat. Zell Miller didn't run in 2002, and shoot the Bush tax cuts bill.

Besides Manchin has said dozens of times that he's been very pissed off at the Trump Administrations efforts to repeal Obamacare.

[Lord Admirale]

Is there even proof Webb supported Trump in 2016.


All people point to that one video where he said he may

Webb's public statement was that he wouldn't vote for Clinton, but he might vote for Trump.  After the election, he made some positive statements regarding the incoming President, but did not confirm that he voted for him.

I believe that Webb voted for Trump in the privacy of the voting booth, but wishes to preserve plausible deniability.  He took the posture that FL Panhandle Rep Bob Sikes (D-Crestview) took in t968, when he said, "I'm voting the Democratic ticket, but I'm not asking anyone else to."  Webb bolted (I suspect) and voted for Trump, but he never asked anyone else to.

yah but that video was from April or May so I am not sure


While Webb made positive statements , I would say they seemed more optimistic than anything

Webb more than likely voted 3rd party or left the presidential ballot blank.

There will probably not be a Zell Miller-esque character in 2020. I guess Jim Justice but he doesn't really count because he was a Republican for all but 2 years of his life.

[Chinggis]

Manchin endorse Trump after he's made his life a living hell for the last year? Nope. As others have said, he could have switched parties years ago and cruised to the easiest reelection of his career. Instead, he stayed a Democrat. He will be a Democrat until the day he dies.

[Fuzzy Bear]

Is there even proof Webb supported Trump in 2016.


All people point to that one video where he said he may

Webb's public statement was that he wouldn't vote for Clinton, but he might vote for Trump.  After the election, he made some positive statements regarding the incoming President, but did not confirm that he voted for him.

I believe that Webb voted for Trump in the privacy of the voting booth, but wishes to preserve plausible deniability.  He took the posture that FL Panhandle Rep Bob Sikes (D-Crestview) took in t968, when he said, "I'm voting the Democratic ticket, but I'm not asking anyone else to."  Webb bolted (I suspect) and voted for Trump, but he never asked anyone else to.

yah but that video was from April or May so I am not sure


While Webb made positive statements , I would say they seemed more optimistic than anything

Webb more than likely voted 3rd party or left the presidential ballot blank.

There will probably not be a Zell Miller-esque character in 2020. I guess Jim Justice but he doesn't really count because he was a Republican for all but 2 years of his life.

Justice struck me as a guy who couldn't get the GOP nomination, but figured that the Democrats would be hard up for a viable candidate.  I don't think he ever had a plan to actually BE a Democrat.

[NewYorkExpress]

Manchin might endorse Trump, but he won't actually switch parties.

[SATW]

Manchin is staying a democrat. This stupid theory needs to stop.

[Mr. Smith]

Nah, but Manchin becoming the new Anthony Kennedy, swinging just to swing  seems plausible.  He wanted to be Governor again, but only gave up on that when that path looked too fraught, and he probably would've retired if he hadn't been begged for one more run.

[lfromnj]

lol @manchin endorsing Trump which he only said to win reelection. The next democratic presidential candidate could be Icespear and Manchin would still endorse him.

[Indy Texas]

Is there even proof Webb supported Trump in 2016.


All people point to that one video where he said he may

Webb's public statement was that he wouldn't vote for Clinton, but he might vote for Trump.  After the election, he made some positive statements regarding the incoming President, but did not confirm that he voted for him.

I believe that Webb voted for Trump in the privacy of the voting booth, but wishes to preserve plausible deniability.  He took the posture that FL Panhandle Rep Bob Sikes (D-Crestview) took in t968, when he said, "I'm voting the Democratic ticket, but I'm not asking anyone else to."  Webb bolted (I suspect) and voted for Trump, but he never asked anyone else to.

Remember that before Jim Webb was a Democrat, Jim Webb was a Republican who worked in the Reagan Administration. It's not like he has some "I didn't leave the Democratic Party; the Democratic Party left me" story to tell.

With hindsight, it appears Webb was largely just a generic Southern Republican who was especially pissed off about the Iraq War putting his son in harm's way, and that incited him to switch parties and run for Senate. Then, he decided he didn't like being in a party headed by Barack Obama, so he retired after one term and retreated from politics until 2016.

[Indy Texas]

Manchin won't switch parties. He's going to retire in 2024 and then probably become a lobbyist, meaning it would be professionally self-destructive for him to burn bridges with his colleagues by leaving the party.

[bagelman]

Joe Lieberman supported Bob Stefanowski

[Bidenworth2020]

Joe Lieberman supported Bob Stefanowski

well, consider the circumstances...

[bagelman]

Joe Lieberman supported Bob Stefanowski

well, consider the circumstances...

Yes the Democrat was Lamont but it's still a better argument then "Manchin will support Trump because WV"

Manchin is pro-Manchin first and foremost and Trump is anti-Manchin.

I think Jim Webb will come home to his original party.

[Progressive Pessimist]

I say none. Actually, if anything, it's someone like Dennis Kucinich.

[Chinggis]

Joe Lieberman supported Bob Stefanowski

Holy Joe must be seething that Lamont is his governor now, absolutely livid. lmao

[pbrower2a]

The Republicans have nothing to offer him unless they gain seats in 2020, which is itself unlikely. Unless one of the new Republican Senators starts as a moderate, he will be to the left of any Republican Senator.  He is not up for re-election until 2024, and he will likely retire then because his margin in a Democratic wave election was slight. He would lose in 2024 in West Virginia.

[Snipee356]

It already happened - that WV governor.

Also, how is Lieberman relevant anymore?

[IceSpear]

lol @manchin endorsing Trump he only said to win reelection. The next democratic presidential candidate could be Icespear and Manchin would still endorse him.

LOL

Luckily, judging from Manchin's victory speech, he's going to vote like Elizabeth Warren for the next 6 years. Massive FF!

[DINGO Joe]

lol @manchin endorsing Trump he only said to win reelection. The next democratic presidential candidate could be Icespear and Manchin would still endorse him.

LOL

Luckily, judging from Manchin's victory speech, he's going to vote like Elizabeth Warren for the next 6 years. Massive FF!

While I haven't had a chance to absorb all the maps, Manchin's is the funniest so far.  If you were to try to create an urban-rural divide in WV, Manchin dominated the urban(modern) while getting smoked in rural WV.  Sure it's not perfect, he did win the rotting carcass of McDowell county by a few votes, but he actually won "suburban" Putnam and did better than I expected in Berkeley.  If Manchin wanted to do something for WV he'd be best to try to help modern WV and let the rest of it go.

He's already on record as saying Trump letting Sessions go was a huge mistake (as if Trump doesn't make those on an daily/hourly basis) , so he's doesn't seem real likely.

Webb doesn't seem really relevant to anything anymore.  He views himself as the great defender of the Scot-Irish while really not doing all that well with them the one time he got elected.  I actually wonder what his name recognition is in Virginia much less beyond.

Speaking of irrelevant rotting corpses, Joe Lieberman

Henry Who?