No, Joe Manchin isn't just like a Republican
No, Joe Manchin isn't just like a Republican
It's a good thing he didn't switch parties, like Robert Reich wanted him to!
If you're a Democrat, voting for a Democrat is almost always better than voting for a non-Democrat.
This isn't true 100 percent of the time, of course. Here in Kansas, we have a Dem in the state legislature who got and stayed there despite some problems with revenge porn and domestic violence. No way in hell I'm voting for that guy. And Republicans in the Donald Trump era have proven how "party above everything" can drag partisans down some pretty ugly roads. Privately they disapprove, of course, but publicly it's rah rah rah. I don't go for that.
But if you're interested in achieving results on the kinds of things that Democrats generally want to achieve -- an expanded welfare state, mitigating climate change -- then it's all but certain that the worst Democrat is better than the alternative.
Yes, I'm talking about Joe Manchin.
For folks on the left side of the aisle, Manchin has been a perplexing -- OK, angering -- figure at times over the last two years. You probably know all the reasons why, and it's all too much to go into here. Suffice it to say, he has often appeared to be the singular1 obstacle between Democrats and the things they want.
And that has led to, well, some tantrums.
This has never really made sense.
For one thing, Manchin has been on board for some of the big things Democrats want, like judges. In a 50-50 Senate, his vote has been utterly irreplacable in making sure that President Biden's nominees get confirmed.
For another: We all know that West Virginia voters aren't going to elect anybody to the left of Joe Manchin, right?
Now, I'm not saying that Manchin is great. His coal company entanglements are problematic, let's say. But I do know this: For Democrats to have any chance at all to get any of the stuff they want, having Manchin in office -- as a Democrat -- is better than not.
And this is important, because as everybody on the left knows, Republicans have a distinct advantage in winning Senate races. Every state -- no matter how populated or not -- gets two senators. Which means as Dems cluster in big blue cities, all those empty red states they've left behind still retain their political power. For Dems to ever have a chance to win a seat in those red states in the forseeable future, they're going to need more Joe Manchins. West Virginia isn't going to elect AOC, no matter how much you want that to be the case.
Anyway, you probably know the moral of the story by now:
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Joe Manchin on Wednesday announced a deal on an energy and health care bill, representing a breakthrough after more than a year of negotiations that have collapsed time and again.
The agreement contains a number of Democrats’ goals. While many details have not been disclosed, the measure would invest $369 billion into energy and climate change programs, with the goal of reducing carbon emissions by 40% by 2030, according to a one-page fact sheet. For the first time, Medicare would be empowered to negotiate the prices of certain medications, and it would cap out-of-pocket costs at $2,000 for those enrolled in Medicare drug plans. It would also extend expiring enhanced subsidies for Affordable Care Act coverage for three years.
That's good stuff. It’s not everything. But it’s good. I'm glad Joe Manchin is in the Senate.
Today's recommendation
Let's not forget Kyrsten Sinema, but she's a whole 'nother story.