But the West Virginia senator’s Thursday announcement that he won’t seek reelection next year only refreshed a perennial question arising from his savvy instinct for accumulating power: What exactly is he up to?
Second, the announcement immediately stoked speculation that Manchin is mulling a third-party presidential bid.
Manchin’s decision to quit Washington comes as a formidable potential Republican challenger, West Virginia Gov.
And if Manchin can’t win in the MAGA stronghold of West Virginia, it’s impossible to believe any other Democrat can.
West Virginia was once a Democratic bastion, however.
Persons:
Joe Manchin, won’t, ’, Jim Justice, Manchin, Donald Trump, “, he’d, ” Manchin, he’s, Joe Biden, Trump, CNN’s Manu Raju, “ I’ve, Biden, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Cornel West, Jill Stein, Hillary Clinton, she’d, ”, Scott Jennings, David Axelrod, Barack Obama, ” Axelrod, Trump ? Democratic Sen, Mark Warner, Virginia doesn’t, CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, Robert Byrd, John Kilwein, keener, Kyrsten Sinema, John Denver’s, John Kennedy, Bill Clinton, ” Kilwein
Organizations:
CNN, West Virginia senator’s, Republican, West, West Virginia Gov, GOP, Democrats ’, White, Senate, Democrats, Trump, Democratic, Harvard, Green Party, Biden, Democrat, Republicans, Trump ? Democratic, West Virginians, West Virginia University, “, ”, Arizona Sen, White House, Republican Party
Locations:
West Virginia, Washington, MAGA, Montana and Ohio, New Hampshire, battlegrounds, Farmington, Appalachia, Arizona, . West Virginia, Manchin’s