Hearing the news today about Joe Manchin reminded us a little bit of how we felt after Dobbs. As in, well, okay, that's out of the way. A great weight has been lifted.
That's because we're good Democrats — and for years, we've been declining to slam a member of the team. It's just not very productive. Same with Kyrsten Sinema in Arizona, who became an Independent but still caucuses with us. And with a Senate majority as slim as ours is, we took a pass on carping and left the cat-herding to Chuck Schumer.
So yes, Joe Manchin was a jerk, but on Capitol Hill, he was our jerk — and will stay that way until he leaves office. Still, it's a relief to know that the DSCC won't have to pour a ton of money into trying to keep him, which was going to be tough anyway. Manchin may have hinted at a run for President today, but he must have known he was toast against Jim Justice — current Republican Governor, millionaire, and owner of The Greenbrier (plus one very ugly English bulldog).
Is the seat gone, then? Probably, but maybe not, if we can find an interesting candidate. Why shouldn't Democrats stop trying to appeal to West Virginia Trumpster types, and instead try to find a pro-choice badass who respects bodily autonomy? Somebody who could run as a rural Democrat who's not going to take advantage of folks the way moneybags Justice does? Surely that person is out there somewhere.
Meanwhile, there's no time to waste — we have a tighter Senate map and great Democrats to support. If you're thinking of donating some dollars tonight, consider Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Jon Tester of Montana, and Ruben Gallego of Arizona. If you're looking to flip a seat, there's Colin Allred in Texas and Gloria Johnson in Tennessee. We cats PURR.
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