Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) “clearly has thought about the challenges of a third party presidential bid” and could launch one at the end of this year, Washington Post columnist George Will wrote Friday.
The two-term incumbent faces a tough reelection bid — if he decides such an avenue — in deep red West Virginia. He would likely face well-liked Gov. Jim Justice (R-WV), who announced his candidacy last month and led Manchin by 14 points in a recent poll, or five-term Rep Alex Mooney (R-WV).
More Manchin presidential tea leaves: https://t.co/P5p70yLvPF
— Josh Kraushaar (@JoshKraushaar) May 12, 2023
And while Manchin looks at the prospects of an uphill battle in the Mountain State, he could forgo that contest for “an even more challenging campaign” — a third-party presidential bid, as Will noted:
Manchin is a short-term pessimist but a long-term optimist: Both parties are, he thinks, too risk-averse to address the nation’s rapidly worsening fiscal precariousness, but dramatic improvements can come from policies that are straightforward. For example, quickly do everything — build barriers, send troops, whatever — to secure the southern border, thereby making possible rational immigration policies that will enlarge the workforce to sustain the entitlement programs.
When Manchin played football he was a quarterback, and he still has an executive’s signal-calling temperament. He will not choose his future path — a reelection campaign, or an even more challenging campaign — until the end of the year. Then he could, in football parlance, call a consequential audible.
WATCH: Manchin: Biden “Hypocritical” on Debt Limit, We’ve Always Had Talks in Divided Government:
Soon after Justice announced his bid for the seat, Manchin issued a statement saying he is “laser focused on doing the job West Virginians elected to me to do,” but declared, “I will win any race enter,” apparently leaving the door open for a presidential run or for another office.
He is also aligned with the No Labels, a third-party group that is working on getting on the presidential ballot in all 50 states to serve as an “insurance policy” if the two major party candidates are undesirable, said it’s co-chairmen, Former Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-CT), former Gov. Patrick McCrory (R-NC), and Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., in March:
No Labels has said this is an insurance policy in the event both major parties nominate presidential candidates that the vast majority of Americans don’t want. If this happens, No Labels itself will not run a candidate, but we will have the launching pad, specifically in the form of ballot access across the country.
Following his cryptic statement about winning “any race” he runs, the Hill asked Manchin about speculation that he could launch a presidential bid on the No Labels ticket amid Democrat worry.
“People are starving, starving to work together,” he said.
He added that the electorate is tired of “this constant, daily routine of everyone’s against everybody and everybody’s fighting and arguing…Let’s be for the country and get something done.”
WATCH: Manchin: Biden Is Creating Uncertainty over Debt Ceiling to Score Political Points:
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