I'm Starting To Think THIS Was The Actual Intent of Harris' WV Interview.

[TrollBuster9090]

Hey, MANCHIN!



I'm beginning to think that the Biden Administration deliberately did an end run around Joe Manchin, getting the Republican Governor of West Virginia on board with the $1.9 Billion Covid relief bill just as Manchin was trying to position himself as the 'centrist,' Republican-light, king maker. Getting the REPUBLICAN Governor to support the $1.9 Billion relief bill, instead of the (guaranteed to fail) $0.6 Billion Collins bill before Manchin could claim his position essentially chopped the legs out from under him.

It was a pretty clear message that he can either get on board and be part of the solution, or he can continue to do what he usually does, and be part of the problem. And that his chances of keeping his job are better if he does the former.

If that was the strategy, I'm pretty pleased with it so far.

Step 1: Manchin starts making noises about a much smaller Covid bill, Biden/Harris say "who asked YOU for an opinion about it? Either get on board, or get out of the way; but we're not yielding to BLACKMAIL this time, Ferret-Face!"

Step 2: Ten Republican 'moderates' go to the White House to dangle the 'bipartisanship' carrot in front of Biden. Essentially saying "we MIGHT vote for a really small, ineffective, useless bill. Provided it fails, and once again, makes it look like a Democratic President can't accomplish anything. Again, Biden/Harris said "Are you aware of something called VIDEO? Well, we've just been watching the VIDEO of what you all did in 2009, and we're not falling for THAT shit again. Get serious, or get out!"

And BOOM! NEXT DAY they're taking the vote! I'm impressed.

[Wounded Bear]

1. Could be. IAE, I'm glad the WVA Gov came on board, and Manchin with him...

[onetexan]

2. You laid it out rather nicely. Yesterday on Jen Psaki's call she touted WVa Gov Jim Justice saying

"Go Big", right away it made sense to me why the administration sent Kamala there. Great move by Dems.
The #1 & #2 were the good ol' one-two punch that made it happen

[Irish_Dem]

3. Yes, I think Biden gave Manchin a one-two punch.

Boxed him in with Harris on one side, the Governor on the other.

Right out of a West Wing episode.

[Raven123]

4. Does anyone know if GOP was running ads in WV against the Biden Rescue Bill?

I also think Biden was upset with Manchin for talking to The media before Biden

[Staph]

13. I'm in the largest in-state television area, Charleston/Huntington,

and I haven't seen any such ads.

[OAITW r.2.0]

5. I agree....this is what I believe was the reason as to why VP Harris went to WV.

Turns out that a Republican governor can be more responsive to the needs of his/her state, then a Democratic Senator in DC.


Minor note, the total numbers are Trillion, not Billion.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

6. Nice analysis. Good gif, too!

[WA-03 Democrat]

7. Beyond

a working government!

[LizBeth]

8. I said yesterday. Manchin playing hardball. This is what it looks like.

[StarfishSaver]

9. Another reason we shouldn't constantly second-guess every move Biden and the Dems make in real time

We don't know what they know and we don't always understand their strategy. Snarking and calling them misguided, slow, clueless and cowardly because they're not doing what we think they should be doing minute-by-minute is ridiculous.

[stillcool]

10. it's exhausting... sometimes one peek

at the latest threads and I'm in the weeds.

[Lucinda]

17. +1

[tblue37]

11. 1.9 trillion, not billion. You should fix that.

[MyOwnPeace]

12. It's a NEW ballgame!

Yesterday on various sites I found columns stating that "Biden's First Big Mistake" was having VP Harris go to W.VA and talk without "checking in" with Munchkin first.

Talk like that is what we should expect after 4 years of "Pinball 'Leadership'" from BunkerBoy. The press is primed to jump on ANYTHING and claim it is a mistake by "Sleepy Joe" - only to get smacked in the face by reality.

I'm LOVING the new game - GO JOE!!!!

[Demsrule86]

29. I will lay you odds that Biden knows the Governor of WVA.

[k8conant]

36. You got that right...

Joe Manchin will come around for us West Virginians now.

[calimary]

37. Welcome to DU, WVGal1963!

Seems to me Manchin should be appreciative. Biden has handled this rather deftly and didn't make a public fool out of him, methinks.

[Dem2theMax]

15. "Manchin was trying to position himself as the 'centrist,' Republican-light, king maker."

That's exactly what I've been thinking.

And I'm so happy it didn't work.

[Fiendish Thingy]

28. It's still working - Manchin won't support the bill without bipartisan support

Manchin won’t vote for the relief bill unless it gets bipartisan support, which won’t happen unless Dems make deep cuts, drop min wage, etc.

Kamala’s gonna need to keep kicking Manchin’s ass...

[Demsrule86]

30. He voted for reconciliations...he will vote for the bill...it is popular in WVA.

[Fiendish Thingy]

42. He stated he won't vote for the bill unless it gets bipartisan support, which means

The bill won’t pass unless it is significantly watered down, including dropping the $15/hr min wage to $11.

[SayItLoud]

16. West Virginia. Quite poor. Manchin agains $15 ph mw. NT

[Lucinda]

19. +1

[Blue_true]

25. The northeastern part is getting spillover from DC commute jobs.

It is more like three states in one now, the outer DC/NVa suburb state, the college town state, and the coal extraction state.

[moose65]

32. Hmmmmm.....

One of the reasons why Virginia turned blue was the growth of the northern Virginia suburbs of DC. Maybe with time, that growth will spread out toward eastern West Virginia. If I recall correctly, it’s only about an hour from DC to the nearest point in West Virginia.

Didn’t Robert Byrd get some federal agencies moved to West Virginia?

[Blue_true]

35. I don't know about Byrd and agencies.

But an hour commute west is likely shorter than driving on the DC Beltway at rush hour. In fact, part of the commute is likely by the DC Metro, so the actual drive to and from home would be less than an hour.

[Staph]

18. And FYI to everyone,

VP Harris didn't come to West Virginia, though I really hope she does once travel opens up. She gave online interviews to one television station and several newspaper groups.

I think she'd be awesome here in person. The television station plugged her appearance like the superstar she is!

[Lucinda]

20. ❤️ ✿❧🌿❧✿ ❤️

[jybarz]

21. $1.9T not $1.9B

Correction: $1.9 Trillion not $1.9 Billion.

[dflprincess]

22. Biden is taking inspiration from LBJ and playing hardball

people aren't used to Democrats doing that (including other Democrats).

[Stinky The Clown]

33. There are far worse people to emulate!

That sort of bareknuckles/sweet talk is how Johnson got us his Great Society.

[dflprincess]

40. Agreed

And I love that picture.

[grobertj]

23. TRUTH!!

[Joinfortmill]

24. No "Bullshit" Joe.

[Fiendish Thingy]

26. Keep Kicking Kamala- today's vote was just to proceed to reconciliation

Manchin is still opposed to any bill without bipartisan support, which won’t happen unless Dems cave and make deep cuts, drop minimum wage, etc.

Keep Kicking Kamala!

[BGBD]

27. The problem

Is that Manchin was always going to vote for this. He was positioning himself to not look like he was a rubber stamp.

He is using the Susan Collins approach of act concerned and then vote party line anyway. Harris going on TV makes it look like he is caving to pressure from her and it will be used against him by Rs.

It wasn't a very tactical move considering that Manchin would win support at home by defying Biden and Harris in any way.

[rpannier]

34. He's not up for re-election until 2024

This vote will mean next-to-nothing by then

[radius777]

43. +1. All voters care about is results.

If Biden's policies defeat the pandemic and help the economy then it helps Manchin also. Voters don't care about 'how' something gets done only that it gets done.

[BGBD]

45. Hate to break this to you

But voters, for the most part, don't care about results.

[BGBD]

46. the vote and the bill won't

but that doesn't mean the narrative won't.

[ecstatic]

31. I was wondering why she went, but your take makes a lot of sense!

If so, bravo! They really know what they're doing.

[Jon King]

38. Manchin was just on Cuomo...

Worthless interview. He just likes the attention and power. He basically gave nothing concrete about anything. Same old nonsense.

My hunch is 2 weeks from now and 2 months from now we will be stuck in the same spot. Manchin and others are trying to wait it out and have nothing substantial pass. Manchin is about one thing, he is a big deal right now and he likes it.

[radius777]

44. Saw it, irked me. Manchin seems to want to do the same 'gang of bipartisans' act

we had to deal with during the Obama era, that simply watered down and obstructed everything.

[camartinwv]

39. I'm not just thinking it, I know it

Hahaha

[LymphocyteLover]

41. good analysis