Current Events > President Joe Manchin, on legislation to expand voting rights

(+) Yeah! (+)

https://twitter.com/mkraju/status/1401481209226596355

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i hate him

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whelp, 250 years was a hell of a run.

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he is a magnificent leader

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I don't want to hear any takes about him being a "necessary evil". If evil is necessary, the system is what's evil.

In any case, the very survival of our democracy is at stake, and all Manchin cares about is making sure he gets invited to Mitch's barbecue.

What exactly makes this guy a Democrat?

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Not doing partisan legislation at the federal level gives Republicans free reign at the state level to pass all the partisan legislation they want. His stance doesn't work on his stated terms, but that's not the point.

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Manchin: I love my GOP overlords!

He's such a horrible person

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I'm impressively depressed that it only takes 1 or 2 people to ruin it for everyone

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What is wrong with this idiot

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YoungMutual posted...

What is wrong with this idiot

he personally benefits the most by maintaining the status quo.

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Libs need to move on from "Joe Manchin/ sinema / the next senator in line is the reason our country isn't perfect" to understanding American "democracy" functions this way as a result of how it was designed 250 years ago


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Doe posted...

Libs need to move on from "Joe Manchin/ sinema / the next senator in line is the reason our country isn't perfect" to understanding American "democracy" functions this way as a result of how it was designed 250 years ago

The current use of the filibuster basically didn't exist 25 years ago; there is no mention of it at all 250 years ago.

I agree that the senate is a fucked institution, but it was markedly less fucked before 60 votes became the threshold all legislation must meet.

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__aCEr__ posted...

What exactly makes this guy a Democrat?

he is still slightly to the left of the mainstream Republican party believe it or not by voting record just shows you how batshit right wing the GOP is at the moment.
let's be honest he ain't voting for the bill because he represents a hyper Conservative White majority state where god forbid pretending non whites (especially dem black folks) plays badly in his reelection bid to a lot of his constituents.

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Antifar posted...

The current use of the filibuster basically didn't exist 25 years ago; there is no mention of it at all 250 years ago.

I agree that the senate is a fucked institution, but it was markedly less fucked before 60 votes became the threshold all legislation must meet.

250 years ago women and black people couldn't vote and senators were appointed by states, not voted on

American democracy was written by and for ultra-rich, land-owning, slave-owning aristocrats, and the spiritual succesors of that interest group is who American democracy still serves first today.

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You're not telling me anything I don't know dude. My point is about the filibuster, which was not a part of the structure they wrote.

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Doe posted...

250 years ago women and black people couldn't vote and senators were appointed by states, not voted on

American democracy was written by and for ultra-rich, land-owning, slave-owning aristocrats, and the spiritual succesors of that interest group is who American democracy still serves first today.

yeah the Senate is an antiquated tradition that we somehow have to pretend is one of the greatest traditions in democracy for whatever reason.

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coolboy11 posted...

yeah the Senate is an anarchic tradition that we somehow have to pretend is one of the greatest traditions in democracy for whatever reason.

Disband the president, house and senate and just have the council

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LastTomorrow posted...

Disband the president, house and senate and just have the council

my freshly woken posting had me confuse "anarchy" and "antiqued", oh brain you so funny.

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Did Joe Manchin become a US Senator to catch up on his naps?

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the GOP will take the house and senate in the midterms, mitch will nuke the filibuster and manchin and sinema will just say they're concerned and face 0 accountability.

This is so 2019 lib talk, get with the times

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There is no moving on from Manchin, he's the only electable Democrat in West Virginia.

The Dem's only chance is to win elsewhere to invalidate his deciding vote.

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K181 posted...

There is no moving on from Manchin, he's the only electable Democrat in West Virginia.

The Dem's only chance is to win elsewhere to invalidate his deciding vote.

still scratching my head that Maine voted for Biden and than reelected Collins
we sadly get the democracy we want too often in this country.

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K181 posted...

There is no moving on from Manchin, he's the only electable Democrat in West Virginia.

The Dem's only chance is to win elsewhere to invalidate his deciding vote.

not necessarily. 3 step plan:

1) Biden calls the two traitorous GOP pets Manchin and Sinema
2) Biden tells them they either get rid of the filibuster or Biden will agree to the GOP infrastructure package and he will make sure W-VA and AZ don't see a single dime of federal infrastructure money or any other COVID or economic aid money too.
3) Watch the two of them change their minds

coolboy11 posted...

still scratching my head that Maine voted for Biden and than reelected Collins

Biden made his campaign in part on his ability to work with Republicans like Collins.

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coolboy11 posted...

still scratching my head that Maine voted for Biden and than reelected Collins
we sadly get the democracy we want too often in this country.

Maine isn't too shocking. Trump won the northern half of the state, which Collins also won, and Collins outperformed Trump in the southern half, which secured her the win against a fairly lackluster Gideon.

And I don't think you can downplay the idea that a portion of the electorate actively wants divided government. I'm convinced that's why the GOP did so well in congress in 2016, as a bunch of voters assumed Clinton was going to win but didn't want her to have congressional majorities. Same for 2020, more than a few voters easily voted Biden and then GOP for congress for that reason, as inane as it is.

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matchboxsantana posted...

not necessarily. 3 step plan:

1) Biden calls the two traitorous GOP pets Manchin and Sinema
2) Biden tells them they either get rid of the filibuster or Biden will agree to the GOP infrastructure package and he will make sure W-VA and AZ don't see a single dime of federal infrastructure money or any other COVID or economic aid money too.
3) Watch the two of them change their minds

And then one or both of them would switch parties, or the backlash in their respective states would fuck over Dems in 2022 and 2024.

The swing Dems hold the cards in the senate. Any cracking of the whip against their constituents would utterly backfire, especially for covid relief and infrastructure aid.

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It's like I'm screaming into a void about the impending fascist takeover in 2-4 years when the GOP inevitably takes over Congress and then the WH. No one seems to be concerned at all and everything the Dems can actually do they won't.

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matchboxsantana posted...

not necessarily. 3 step plan:

1) Biden calls the two traitorous GOP pets Manchin and Sinema
2) Biden tells them they either get rid of the filibuster or Biden will agree to the GOP infrastructure package and he will make sure W-VA and AZ don't see a single dime of federal infrastructure money or any other COVID or economic aid money too.
3) Watch the two of them change their minds

We need more Sopranos governing

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NinjaWarrior455 posted...

It's like I'm screaming into a void about the impending fascist takeover in 2-4 years when the GOP inevitably takes over Congress and then the WH. No one seems to be concerned at all and everything the Dems can actually do they won't.

It's depressing as fuck.

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matchboxsantana posted...

2) Biden tells them they either get rid of the filibuster or Biden will agree to the GOP infrastructure package and he will make sure W-VA and AZ don't see a single dime of federal infrastructure money or any other COVID or economic aid money too.

Given that they're both willing to stand in the way of any infrastructure bill passing, I'm not sure a lack of federal infrastructure money for their states is a threat that would concern them.

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when political violence on a large scale regularly breaks out in this country are fearless leaders will be confused on why it happened and how it could have happened.

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__aCEr__ posted...

What exactly makes this guy a Democrat?

He calls himself one. So Dems who vote blue no matter what keep voting him in his state.

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BlueTigerLion posted...

He calls himself one. So Dems who vote blue no matter what keep voting him in his state.

Manchin is basically the last surviving member of the West Virginia Democratic Party. In the time that he's won six statewide elections, the Dems in WV have gone from the majority party to an afterthought.

Like it or not, he's the most liberal thing possible out of that state.

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Jesus Christ, this system is so fucked.

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Personally I blame that Maine Democrat lady and the Dem from NC who had that sex scandal

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Doe posted...

Libs need to move on from "Joe Manchin/ sinema / the next senator in line is the reason our country isn't perfect" to understanding American "democracy" functions this way as a result of how it was designed 250 years ago

That would require libs to advocate for real genuine change which they absolutely are not interested in.

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NinjaWarrior455 posted...

It's like I'm screaming into a void about the impending fascist takeover in 2-4 years when the GOP inevitably takes over Congress and then the WH. No one seems to be concerned at all and everything the Dems can actually do they won't.

It feels more and more inevitable every day. Jan 6 wasn't enough to wake this country up. We haven't found rock-bottom yet.

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ScazarMeltex posted...

That would require libs to advocate for real genuine change which they absolutely are not interested in.

Yup

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matchboxsantana posted...

the GOP will take the house and senate in the midterms, mitch will nuke the filibuster and manchin and sinema will just say they're concerned and face 0 accountability.

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K181 posted...

Like it or not, he's the most liberal thing possible out of that state.

He's also correctly noting that policy doesn't matter, but partisanship does. The only way he can put daylight between himself and the national party (and therefore keep his seat) is to disagree with anything Republicans don't agree with.

This is a different calculation when the Dems are the minority party. But I don't think it will work any more, I can't imagine him winning in west virginia in the 2020s

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Isn't he up in 2024 too? There's no way

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NinjaWarrior455 posted...

It's like I'm screaming into a void about the impending fascist takeover in 2-4 years when the GOP inevitably takes over Congress and then the WH. No one seems to be concerned at all and everything the Dems can actually do they won't.

Agreed. People seem to think that with Trump out and Biden in, things will be just fine, but actually, things are going to get much worse if the Dems don't grow some balls, and if the people get complacent again in 2022 and 2024.

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This country is so fucked

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Antifar posted...

You're not telling me anything I don't know dude. My point is about the filibuster, which was not a part of the structure they wrote.

You're correct. It was an agreed upon deal senators made with each other. There's nothing about it in the Constitution.

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Solar_Crimson posted...

Agreed. People seem to think that with Trump out and Biden in, things will be just fine, but actually, things are going to get much worse if the Dems don't grow some balls, and if the people get complacent again in 2022 and 2024.

Probably don't even need to get complacent, Republicans passing enough laws at the State level it may not matter

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On topic, he is absolutely fucking gaslighting anyone with a brain if he is presenting the For the People Act as "partisan voting legislation". Partisan voting legislation is what states like Georgia and Texas are doing and what the FPA is trying to prevent them from implementing.



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