The Great Manchin in the Sky

I think a lot of Democrats have what I call Joe Manchin Derangement disease.  I completely understand it, by the way.  I've even written harshly critical articles about him myself here.  But understanding it and being critical are separate from Derangement.  

Derangement is when people are so outraged by him they paint him as a Republicans and would love to see him get a primary challenge by someone more moderate, or even liberal.  And can't believe that any Democrats support him and even just defend him. And hate that he is this great figure up in Valhalla who controls the destiny of so much of the Democratic agenda.

I get the outrage.  There's a lot at stake that's critical in many areas, including democracy.  And it's hard to understand his stance of these issues, that are blocking Democratic issues.  I get it.

But I also get this --

Joe Manchin is a conservative Democrat.  And there are conservative, moderate and liberal Democrats.  It's the Republican Party that has become a one-belief party -- you're either a conservative or, better still, a far-right conservative, or you're considered virtually a Democrat.  You're a RINO, a Republican in Name Only.  You'll likely get primaried.  That's the Republican Party.  And it's why democracy is, in fact, being challenged today.  But Democrats actually do have liberals, moderates and conservatives..  

So, yes, Joe Manchin is a conservative Democrat.  He believes in the basic, foundational principles of the Democratic Party, but his overall philosophy is a conservative view of those principles.  And as a result, sometimes conservative groups love him.  I get it.

Because I also get that he represents a state that voted for Trump by 40 points!!!  Democrats should be eternally grateful that Joe Manchin represents West Virginia, no matter how much they might viscerally hate how he votes on many important issues.  But he votes with Democrats at least 50% of the time.  That might seem low -- and for a Democrat, it is -- but a Republican would likely vote with Democrats no more than 10% of the time.

But what I get is something else entirely, which is even far more important than how he votes, even if he voted with Republicans 99% of the time.

It's that a more moderate Democrat would not ever get elected U.S. Senator in West Virginia.  And anyone who thinks such a person would is living in an alternative universe.  And by being a Democrat, however he votes Chuck Schumer is the Majority Leader of the Senate, he controls the agenda, he controls what bills get called to the Senate floor, Democrats control the leadership of every committee in the Senate, committees can hold investigations, Democrats can approve federal judges, and Senate Democrats can approve Reconciliation Bills with the Democrat-controlled House.  It's how the COVID Relief Bill got passed.

All because Joe Manchin is a Democrat.  Whatever his voting record is.  And his voting record is that he votes with Democrats over half the time.

I dislike how Joe Manchin is acting on the filibuster and voting rights bills and more.  It's infuriating and potentially dangerous.  But I am thrilled Joe Manchin is a Democrat.  And if Joe Manchin ever got so angry himself that he quit the Democratic Party and became an independent who wouldn't caucus with Democrats -- or God forbid, a Republican, then Democrats would have something to truly howl in monumental angst over.

I get the anger over how Joe Manchin is acting and saying he'll vote.  I think Democrats should be angry at that. And make their anger known.

But I get that I'm overjoyed every day that Joe Manchin is a Democrat.  Because, as long as Joe Manchin is a Democrat, Chuck Schumer is the Majority Leader, not Mitch McConnell.