Manchin Swirls into Irrelevance

 

by Pa Rock

Citizen Journalist

Independent Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia, a politician who alleges to have one time been a Democrat, is currently taking one final swirl around the toilet bowl of national politics and next January 3rd will be flushed into a cesspit of irrelevance - and it couldn't happen to a more deserving individual.

During his two terms in the United States Senate (when he generally wore the "Democratic" label) Manchin steadfastly fought against doing away with the filibuster rule (which requires 60 votes to pass most legislation instead of just a simple majority - thus giving the minority party unwarranted and unearned power), voted against efforts to control climate change, fought to weaken Democratic efforts to enact voting rights and election reform, voted against codifying the protections of Roe v Wade into federal law, and was the only Democratic senator to vote to confirm Trump's appointment of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.

In an almost evenly spilt US Senate, Joe Manchin was often able to use his vote to foil Democratic priorities.  It was role that he openly relished, and it gave the West Virginian a sense and aura of extraordinary power.

Politicians feared Joe Manchin.  They kowtowed to him.  They stroked his ego and readily humiliated themselves in seeking his favors.

But that was then . . . and now the crusty old politician is halfway out the door, and it is swinging closed behind him, and his importance is waning, and soon he will be completely irrelevant on the national political scene. How demoralizing that must be!

This week Joe Manchin tried to reassert his relevance by launching a broadside at Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for President. Manchin, who has always been a protector of the filibuster, got righteously incensed when Harris said she supports doing away with it.  Manchin was so pissed, in fact, that he announced that he would not be endorsing Harris for President.  So far there has been no response to that political affront from Kamala - because she probably doesn't give a rip!

Get over yourself, Joe.  You're as good as retired and nobody, NOBODY, cares what you think about anything, any more, and certainly not who you deign to endorse.    Get aboard your cabin cruiser and putt on back to West Virginia, or the Outer Banks, or Timbuktu, and have a nice retirement, but don't expect anyone to care about your circumstances, thoughts, or endorsements because you - like this tired old typist - are destined to become more irrelevant with each passing day.

Say what you want, get mad as hell, but just don't expect anyone to be listening - or to care.

Enjoy your retirement, Joe!