AMAC Exclusive – By Barry Casselman
It is purely a hypothetical scenario now, but a very dramatic political party switch that could happen makes a lot of sense for two U.S. Senators facing uphill battles to win their re-election in 2024.
Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Senator Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, both part of the current narrow Democrat majority (51 to 49) in the U.S. Senate, have been notable mavericks in Congress, often refusing to go along with the Biden administration and the pleadings of Majority Leader Chuck Schumer in trying to pass legislation.
Senator Sinema, in fact, has already declared herself an independent, although she is still caucusing with the Democrat majority.
Both Manchin and Sinema, however, are facing re-election in 2024, and are easily the two most vulnerable incumbents. They appear now to have dim prospects at the polls twenty-one months ahead.
Manchin, a once popular West Virginia governor, then senator, has watched his once blue state turn very red as Democrat energy policies turned against the state’s key coal mining industry and the liberal party abandoned its working class base. Manchin is now the only major elected state Democrat left, and to survive has had to oppose many left-wing proposals from the White House and his fellow Senate Democrats. At the end of the previous Congress, Manchin agreed to support the misleadingly named Inflation Reduction Act in exchange for what he thought were promised concessions on issues that would benefit West Virginia energy interests. The bill had been severely criticized by conservatives, who pointed out that the bill was ultimately inflationary. His vote upset a lot of West Virginians, and then Manchin’s Senate colleagues reneged on their promises — making Manchin seem ineffective.
Although Manchin would not be seriously challenged for renomination, the most formidable Republicans in the state, including GOP Governor Jim Justice, are lining up to run against him. If Joe Biden or another anti-coal Democrat is on the 2024 ticket, Senator Manchin would face a very tough re-election.
Sinema has so antagonized her own party in Arizona that Democrat Congressman Ruben Gallego has already indicated he will challenge her. Polls suggest he would easily win the Democrat primary against her. Polls also indicate that she would come in third if she ran in November 2024 as an Independent, and that the Republican nominee would win.
But Sinema, like Manchin, has an alternative political route to win re-election.
Sinema and Manchin could announce, either together or separately, that they are switching to the Republican Party now, making the GOP minority leader the new majority leader. They would need to demonstrate their new bona fides by voting consistently to block radical Democrat legislation and the appointment of liberal or leftist federal judges. They would also need to support the Republican nominee for president in 2024. This dramatic double shift would not guarantee that either of them would automatically win their GOP primaries, but it would be hard to defeat them. With their new party nomination, they would almost be unbeatable in November 2024 when Republicans would be likely to expand their control of the U.S. Senate, and both of them would be on committees as members of the majority.
Although this would be a momentous move on their part, their alternative is probable defeat at worst, or empty roles in a probable minority at best.
Sinema may have no realistic other choice for political survival; Manchin could run as a Democrat for governor (popular incumbent Jim Justice is term-limited), but his diminished standing with state voters, now overwhelmingly Republican, makes that option less appealing.
The scenario above is admittedly speculative, but since politicians, especially those already holding elective office, rarely act deliberately against their own self-interest and political survival, do not be surprised if it actually happens.
It doesn’t matter who’s on the ticket for president I would not vote for them. They are against everything I would want my country to stand for. Until we put God back in our belief’s this country is doomed. All parties are on the road to One World Government. The Republicans are just a little slower. Maybe Trump did help wake up the Republicans. We’ll see. I see a nation under distress and only going to deteriorate more over the coming years!
Take birth of them to hell with your party when it dies lol
As far as the lady goes, I don’t know, I think Arizona is lost and is purple at best. But Manchin will have a hard time if he doesn’t switch. His state was number 1 for Trump in 2016 and in the top 5 for Trump in 2020. Double check me on that, but that is what I remember. His state, as the article said, is not a Rat state anymore. It is quite the opposite. Trump put those people back to work in West Virginia and they will never forget it. MAGA
The problem is that they pack too many bills onto the basic bill. Stop it!!
We’d be better off without them. They are not trustworthy. They’d just be new RINOS. We don’t need ant more of those.
Sinema has said she would vote for every demoncrat bill because she believes what they want to do. The only exception was getting rid of the filibuster. That was basically her only pushback. Manchin, worthless, just worthless.
This is fantasy, but while we are dreaming, there is no good can come of these two becoming Republicans except if McConnell is then voted out as majority leader. With McConnell in place nothing will have changed for the better.
These two are just playing a political game. Once a democrat, always a democrat.
WHY WOULD WE WANT THEM?
PURE FANTASY! . . . Once a Communist, Always a Communist!
No matter what “party” those in DC say they align with, they are all members of the same uniparty with few exceptions! Sinema and Manchin will never be conservatives. If they claim to then they are just lying and deceiving for political/personal gain. Why would AMAC encourage that?! We have had enough problems lately with RINOs. The last thing conservatives need is more fake Republicans
The two senators siding with Republicans is a wonderful fairy tale. They never would have been democrats if they didn’t desire to be part of established power in Washington DC. Now that the Democrats have almost topped out the appetite for borrowing, their hearts will never be in joining the group with conscience. They may attempt to look more reasonable than the socialists.
Mr. Casselman has forgotten or is ignoring the elephant in the room. The Democrats have perfected voter fraud through mail-in voting. Unless a miracle occurs which ends mail-in voting and requires voter ID, there is no chance that these people will be in jeopardy of losing their seats.
At first, it sounds great. They talk a good game but end up doing what democrats tell them to do. As a few people have already mentioned I don’t see them becoming conservative.
Speculative? Its like college kids passing a joint around and describing how things ought to be.
If Joe Manchin is “gullible” enough to vote for a bill like that simply based on what he was getting, then America can’t afford him! And the GOP should not allow him to “join”. That is the problem with the Republican Party now. Since the mid nineties we have allowed them to cross over to the conservative detriment of our party. A leopard doesn’t change it’s spots, and democrats don’t change their beliefs!!!
They are not switching anything That would be too definite Instead they will zig zag this way and that to save their place at the slop bucket
Manchin’s comments at DAVOS, for last week’s WEF gathering of elitists tyrants should be covered by AMAC!!! Check out his saying that too much disinformation, free speech (by American conservative patriots) is an impediment to governing.
I’ve wondered for a long time why Manchin doesn’t just rip off the bandaid and switch parties. He is too old-school Dem for the current party, and would align better with the current GOP (at least parts of it.)
I don’t have any confidence in either party so I wonder if they are changing just to get votes but will still vote with the party they were part of before. The politicians all seem to be self serving not constituent serving.
kind of reminds me of a pigpen. How bad does the stink get before you jump over the fence?
It’s a shame that decent Democrats cannot function in the current Progressive controlled Democrat Party. The only way these Democrats can survive in politics is to remove themselves from the Democrat Party. Whatever it takes should be.
This is a what if piece. Why is it that in America as soon as we are done with one election we are busy with the next one.
And if only pigs could fly. I like the idea of both Senator Manchin and Sinema switching parties. As the article mentioned it would make good sense for both individuals to do so and I believe it would be good for our republic, but until it actually becomes reality I wouldn’t put too much into it.
Only once in the history of the US has a minority switched to the majority without an election.
In 2001 Sen Jim Jeffords of VT changed from Rep to Independent and caucused with the Dems changing Sen Control. If they want to change parties, they should resign and run in a special election in their new party (like Phil Gramm did in Texas)
Both have one thing in mind I MUST WIN ELECTION. They do not care about the party or the people. Pure selfish reasons. I want the power and money
Give me a break, this is nothing more than a smoke screen, these two Half-Wits are still Democrats at heart, they don’t give a flying-Flip about your civil liberties, or your constitutional rights or about equal treatment. I wouldn’t trust them not for one second, I would soon be in a pit with a 1000 rattle snake and believe I won’t get bit, then trust either one of these two. Hang on to your Wallet, your Constitution, Small Pets and Children when Democrats are around.
Come on, Mountaineers; get rid of this guy! He’s playing you for suckers by supporting the Senile One’s anti-coal policies!
Manchin was found in Davos! That’s a NO for me! No serious R should be within 1000 miles of that Anti-American nightmare cabal! And Sinema, “Bye, Bye”
The republican party doesn’t need, nor should the party allow them to be republicans. There’s enough of the libtard garbage there already.
Becareful of wolves in sheep clothing!!! I can tell you everything you want to hear, convince you, then do whatever I want to. We have been living in this political BS for the last 100 years!
I wouldn’t trust Sinema as far as I can throw my house. Manchin, on the other hand, did save us from the elimination of the filibuster. His agreeing to the BS “Inflation Reduction Act” (in reality the Climate Change Act) made me think twice about his loyalty to his state, the country and his party, however he showed his loyalty to his party and that turned me totally off with regard to him possibly switching sides. On the other hand he is nowhere near as bad as Murkowski, Romney, Collins and other RINO’s, so it’s a 50/50 with him. I do think his support for the “IRA” was the final nail in the coffin as far as any re-election – no matter which party he run in, and I think he knows it. This certainly will be interesting! God help us if we don’t keep the house and take back the Senate – at minimum!
So WHAT?!? McConnel is supposed to be a Republican, yet he sides cwith the Democrats more often than not…
Knocking Schumer down a notch combined with Pelosi being out is a dream come true. I hope that Sinema and Manchin make that possible. I don’t expect miracles with their voting but I think it’s a step in a better direction.
If they did switch to the Republican party to win re-election, they would not be doing so to serve their constituents, but only to further their career politician status.
Wonderful.Two more Romney’s that’s the last thing the republican party needs
This is pretty ‘Iffy’. IF they switch to the Republican Party NOW that’s great?? However, what’s to prevent them from switching Back to the Democrats if things do not go as they anticipate. I do not think that a Politician should be allowed to jump back & forth between parties to suit their current ambition. If you win an election affiliated with one party then that’s who you represent, otherwise party choice is just another gimmick to get elected & you can bounce back & forth as the mood strikes. So, really, what’s new??
JUST FOR THE RECORD — JOE MANCHIN’S COMMITTEE WROTE THE “INFLATION REDUCTION ACT”. HE WROTE IT HOPING THAT CHUCKY AND PELOSI WOULD RETURN SOME FAVORS. ALSO==== WHAT THE HXXX WAS HE DOING IN DAVOS??????
Actually, regardless of what y’all think this would be a good thing if nothing more than giving the Conservatives the majority in the Senate.