Once again, Democrat arrogance is getting the better of them.
On May 8, 2023, Politico wrote:
Republicans’ best option for unseating Sen. Joe Manchin: Pray that he retires first.
The longtime West Virginia Democrat might be the most endangered member of his party heading into 2024. But Republicans still see the contest against him as treacherous. Manchin is a West Virginia institution who has repeatedly defied the odds in a deep-red state.
…
But interviews with 18 elected officials, strategists and political observers in West Virginia and Washington, D.C. reveal that Manchin isn’t quite being left for dead yet. Even Justice’s former pollster said it would be unwise to count Manchin out.
Just a few weeks before Politico’s arrogant piece, West Virginia Republica governor Jim Justice announced that he would challenge Manchin in 2024.
In response to the announcement Manchin was defiant.
“I am laser focused on doing the job West Virginians elected me to do – lowering healthcare costs, protecting Social Security and Medicare, shoring up American energy security and getting our fiscal house in order,” Manchin said. “But make no mistake, I will win any race I enter.”
Yeah, about that…
Wowza https://t.co/2VDMLd7wR8
— Chris Cillizza (@ChrisCillizza) May 30, 2023
Manchin has always been considered a moderate. However, the last straw with voters appeared to be when he caved to Biden’s Infrastructure bill in 2022.
A local Democrat official sees the writing on the wall.
“I don’t think he can pull it out,” said Deirdre Purdy, chair of the Calhoun County Democratic Party. “My county has so few Democrats in it, I can’t even get a full committee together.”
A former adviser to Manchin, Jonathan Kott isn’t even sure if Manchin will run in 2024. Kott cited that Manchin waited until the last minute in 2018 – just a few days before the deadline – to declare he was seeking re-election.
“This is just who he is,” he said. “He just doesn’t focus on the campaign till he has to. He’s busy being a senator for West Virginia and legislating. He’ll sit down with his family, I would guess sometime in like December, and that’s when they’ll make a decision. I’m pretty sure that’s what he did last time.”
The Democrats are definitely in a panic; they are now suing the governor to look for dirt.
The US Senate Democrat Party campaign wing is suing the governor so they can take a look at his work schedule.
