Democrat U.S. Senator Joe Manchin is a master politician. Say anything else you wish about West Virginia’s senior senator, but honest observers will never dispute his people skills.
Every highly-successful politician knows one cornerstone of public acceptance: make the person you’re dealing with at the moment feel he or she is the most important individual in YOUR life. Let him or her know that his or her problem is your problem too.
Manchin does that in spades. Run into him at an event — he’ll bearhug you and look you straight in the eyes for a lengthy personal conversation. Call for federal help and he and his staff will make you feel like you’re the only constituent they have.
Serving the public comes naturally to the Senator. Not as flamboyant as his late uncle, former State Treasurer/Secretary of State and legislator A. James Manchin, Joe Manchin nevertheless exudes the same compassionate attitude toward the public. His constituent services are second to none.
“Uncle Jim” Manchin once told me it is important for a politician to be just as happy in the brothel as the choir loft. There’s no reason to think he or his nephew ever had experience at the former, but Superstar A. James had a way with descriptive terms — and he was accurate most of the time.
I firmly believe state Republicans are underestimating Joe Manchin’s qualities when they consider their chances of beating him in a 2024 re-election campaign. Frankly, most Republican elected officials don’t understand constituent services well enough to evaluate them. And his personal charisma is part of his natural makeup — nobody had to teach him the methods of effective personal interaction.
There’s no “fake smile or concern” with Manchin — it’s genuine.
Another Manchin quality is that he surrounds himself with good people. I’ve said it over and over but political consultant extraordinaire Larry Puccio is as good as it gets and the value of his advice to Manchin over the years is beyond measure.
Then there’s no better field representative than my old newspaper colleague Michael Browning, formerly of The Logan Banner. Many others associated with Manchin are top of the line as well. That list is long.
These days the Senator has one more ace in the hole assuring his Mountain State popularity remains high. Known simply as “AOC,” Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has accused Manchin of corruption for holding weekly meetings with ExxonMobil lobbyists. She couldn’t help him much more than that.
The far-left wing New York congresswoman made the comments in response to an op-ed Manchin wrote in the Wall Street Journal saying he would not support the $3.5 trillion reconciliation package allegedly aimed at addressing climate change and funding numerous social safety programs.
To AOC and those of her socialist stripe, “addressing climate change” means getting rid of coal.
Simply put, she thinks Manchin should support an anti-fossil fuel bill. West Virginia has elected some flaming liberals from time to time but it’s safe to say anti-fossil fuel politicians never have fared well here. AOC accuses Manchin of being in the pocket of traditional energy lobbyists as opposed to the doom-and-gloomers who insist the world will end next week. (Of course, with President Biden in the White House, it might).
While ripping our Senator, AOC says he gives his “pen to (lobbyists to) write so-called ‘bipartisan’ fossil fuel bills”
With the GOP controlling both houses of the legislature by supermajorities, owning all statewide constitutional office seats and four of five congressional chairs, Republicans are feeling their oats as they look to 2022 and 2024.
Most GOP leaders and elected officials think their efforts to alert what were always conservative voters to which party best represents them best, paid off with dividends.
To the extent that enlightening joined with President Trump’s personal popularity, I suppose they are right. But the day Trump is no longer a viable candidate will be the day we’ll see just how popular Delegates John and Jane Patriot are in the West Virginia hills on their own.
But Manchin is playing it all appropriately. He represents a state where Republican Trump got 70% of the vote in 2020. He is the tying vote in an equally-divided Senate. Democrats cannot advance wildly-liberal legislation for President Joe Biden without the West Virginian’s vote.
He has simply made it clear that he’s no rubber stamp for the Biden-left agenda. That riles AOC — and it helps Manchin tenfold at home. That’s especially so when West Virginia voters see AOC as THE anti-coal villain.
As noted, West Virginians are still huge coal advocates. Fossil fuels spurred the state’s economy for decades. They won’t give up on it now.
So while liberals like AOC spout the propaganda of job creation that will totally replace coal, state residents are skeptical.
Actually, they don’t believe AOC, Hillary Clinton or Al (is California in the ocean yet?) Gore’s disastrous fossil fuel predictions.
When asked if I consider Manchin a moderate, I generally respond, “yes, given the current state of the Democrat party.” Their leadership is so far left, Franklin Roosevelt would be a “moderate” today.
And there’s nobody making our Senator perceived as a more middle-road guy than AOC. One loyal reader sarcastically asked if I was checking Manchin’s campaign finance reports to see if he’s paying her to be a spokeswoman.
West Virginians identify AOC as an enemy of coal and their way of life. If she doesn’t like Senator Manchin, it’s all the more reason to think he’s really moderate — and working for us.
Couple the perceived moderation with excellent constituent service and you likely have a big winner next time out.
* * * * * *
Those close to Secretary of State Mac Warner continue to tell me he’s more interested in running against Manchin in 2024 than seeking the wide-open governor’s position.
That’s a mistake for the reasons just noted. Republican Governor Jim Justice cannot run for re-election. That seat will be open in 2024, giving Warner a much more realistic chance.
* * * * * *
I’ve been saying it for months. It will be fascinating to see how patriotic, constitution-loving Republican legislators fashion re-election boasting in 2022.
I believe we may already be seeing it, though. Many are now boldly demanding a special session to deal with masks, Covid and federal funding.
I suppose it’s better to be late than never make it to the party at all, but where were some of these “leaders” a year ago?
And have you noticed that Justice is much more reluctant to be the “king of mask wearing” these days?
The closer we get to election days 2022, the more “liberty-loving” these friends of ours will become.
* * * * * *
It’s aggravating to see how fake news must label every Trump reference to a rigged election as “false claim.”
As noted earlier, Al Gore and others had half the continent under ocean water a decade ago because of “global warming.” So why doesn’t CNN label climate change as a “false claim”?
* * * * * *
Unlike his ill-fated run for Governor in 2020, incumbent Democrat Kanawha County Commissioner Ben Salango will be the overwhelming favorite in his 2022 re-election campaign.
A planned Salango fundraiser this week, in fact, is sponsored by Senator Manchin. The event is set for this coming Thursday.
The co-sponsor list is a virtual who’s-who of Charleston/Kanawha politics. Former Senator Carte Goodwin and ex-Governor Earl Ray Tomblin lead the billing. Salango’s fellow Democrat Commissioner Kent Carper is also on board.
Then there’s Democrat Charleston Mayor Amy Goodwin and Republican South Charleston Mayor Frank Mullens. Democrat Huntington Mayor Steve Williams is also listed as is former Charleston Mayor Danny Jones.
Former Republican State Senator Chris Walters is on the list as is (shall I say it again?) political genius Larry Puccio.
DeWayne Duncan, who ran as a Republican for commissioner in 2020, is also listed. He lost that primary to Lance Wheeler, who went on to be elected in November.
All in all, quite a group and very indicative of how difficult it will be for anyone to give Salango much of a contest.
* * * * * *
The selection of Republican Congressman Jim Jordan of Ohio as speaker for the annual state Republican dinner will help fuel the Trump loyalists who can’t get 2024 here soon enough.
Of course this week ended with some confusion as to Jordan and Trump ’24.
A video surfaced showing Jordan saying Trump is “about ready to announce” his 2024 presidential run but then his spokesperson denied he ever said it.
“I know so. I talked to him yesterday. He’s about ready to announce after all this craziness in Afghanistan,” the Ohio Republican said in the video posted on Twitter. Or if it wasn’t him, it was the best impersonator to ever appear in public.
The conversation took place at an event hosted by Iowa’s Dallas County Republican party, where Jordan was the keynote speaker. Perhaps he can make the same announcement here.
More than one reporter also heard the congressman’s comments but that did not deter his spokesperson from telling Politico: “Not true. Mr. Jordan did not say this.”
Although politicians have always been given some “wiggle room” when it comes to facts, it’s pretty difficult to figure why a congressman would flatly deny saying something he’s on tape saying. His spokesperson could have characterized “about ready to announce” as meaning “sometime in the next few years” but why deny he said it at all?
Goodness. The next thing you know Justice will deny having said, “I encourage all businesses that are allowed to open to do so only if they (expletive) follow the guidelines to keep West Virginians safe.”
Oh yeah. He DID deny it despite that tape.
* * * * * *
Former Eastern Panhandle Delegate S Marshall Wilson isn’t the only Political Party Founder of our day.
Something called the “Patriots Party” claims on social media to be running veteran Scott Fuller of Huntington for Congress in the third district.
Obviously a far-right candidate, Fuller also served in law enforcement. His public positions on issues closely mirror those of Trump.
While there is no apparent filing for Fuller with the Federal Election Commission, it is generally interpreted that no filing is necessary until funds are being raised.
Perhaps someone could tell officials of the party that there will be no “third district” in 2022, when West Virginia shrinks to two House districts rather than three.
* * * * * *
Notable among pre-candidacy filings with the Secretary of State, Harrison County Republican Delegate Ben Queen has raised more than $21,500 in his planned 2022 State Senate bid. As of the weekend, he had over $9,000 remaining in his treasury.
Ron Gregory is a regular political columnist and reporter for lootpress.com. Contact him at 304-533-5185; ronjgregory@gmail.com or PO Box 20297, Charleston, WV 25362.