(PatriotWise.com) — As the 2024 presidential race kicks off, Democrats are reportedly trying to stop West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin from launching a third-party ticket. Manchin has been described as a moderate Democrat opposing some of the more radical far-left figures like Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, drawing ire from many Democrats for his “conservative” stances.
But Manchin is moderate enough to be both a pain for Democrats and Republicans. Therefore, running as a third-party candidate is looking somewhat appealing to him. But for his Democratic colleagues, the move is disastrous. Sen. John Hickenlooper told Politico that he expressed as much to Manchin, claiming that his bid would help Donald Trump. Nevertheless, Manchin did not seem too responsive to his warning.
Manchin is not clear on what he wants to do yet, according to the Free Beacon. He is also unsure whether he wants to run for reelection in the Senate against Republican Governor Jim Justice. Manchin himself was governor of the state from 2005 to 2010.
While Democrats are not keen on the idea, Manchin has noted that the presidential election is a year and a half away. He said that he will not rule anything out, adding that “There’s a tremendous concern about our country and the direction the country is going in. That’s all.”
With these ideas floating in his mind, Manchin is positioning himself as a critic of the Inflation Reduction Act, a $740 billion piece of legislation that he helped orchestrate. He said that since its passage, President Biden has sought to “liberalize” it resulting in higher costs. The Wall Street Journal reported that the cost is closer to $1.2 trillion.
Manchin is now getting attacked by a Republican spending group aligned with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell for the bill, which it claims will cost West Virginians 100,000 fossil fuel jobs.
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