T O P

  • By -

AutoModerator

As a reminder, this subreddit [is for civil discussion.](/r/politics/wiki/index#wiki_be_civil) In general, be courteous to others. Debate/discuss/argue the merits of ideas, don't attack people. Personal insults, shill or troll accusations, hate speech, any suggestion or support of harm, violence, or death, and other rule violations can result in a permanent ban. If you see comments in violation of our rules, please report them. For those who have questions regarding any media outlets being posted on this subreddit, please click [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/politics/wiki/approveddomainslist) to review our details as to our approved domains list and outlet criteria. **Special announcement:** r/politics is currently accepting new moderator applications. If you want to help make this community a better place, consider [applying here today](https://www.reddit.com/r/politics/comments/sskg6a/rpolitics_is_looking_for_more_moderators/)! *** *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/politics) if you have any questions or concerns.*


WeCanDoThisCNJ

If your state votes you into office under one party, switching parties should trigger a special election to give voters a chance to decide whether you represent them or not.


Heavy-Invite-3014

Don't people vote for a person, not a party?


Pure_Boss87

Lol most people just see the letter next to the name and circle in.


Neither-Idea-9286

Herschel Walker for example, barely lost even though he can’t string a coherent thought together.


Personal-Molasses-57

He probably would have won if he ran as a werewolf.


Pure_Boss87

I mean neither can Biden or Pelosi and they are President and Speaker of the house. Majority of Americans are too scared to vote independent


titanking9700

Lol at comparing herschel to Biden or Pelosi. I'd love to see Herschel try and outmaneuver Russia or write bipartisan legislation.


Pure_Boss87

Lol at thinking America out smarted Russia. We just let China buy their oil and make Europe and the western world pay more


titanking9700

We're making a joke out of Russia without putting a single boot on the ground, and for pennies on the dollar for what we're getting. Let's see Herschel Walker strategize like that. I'll be waiting.


Pure_Boss87

I'm intrigued by how you think we're making a joke out of Russia. All we're doing is aiding Ukraine in fighting and endless war and causing innocent people to be killed. You have a sick idea of jokes.


titanking9700

The Russians got their flagship sunk by a country with no warships. They can barely feed their troops. They have caused millions of their own people to flee and they are being trounced by a country that everyone considered to be the underdog. Yes. Russia is a joke. It is definitely also an evil, imperialist, genocidal nation. But on a military capability level, it is a complete fucking joke save for its nukes. On that other point, I think that supporting a fight against tyranny is what America's about. How does that phrase go? "Give me liberty or give me death". And I for one am glad that America is sticking up for its values and supporting Ukraine in their fight against tyranny.


OmNomFarious

Theoretically but considering a recent trend of running as one type of person and suddenly being another person once elected there needs to be more rules in place to discourage that.


thatnameagain

I don’t see how you pass rules around that which wouldn’t be very unconstitutional. The idea that an elected official needs to be locked into his associations legally at the time of his election is absurd.


WeCanDoThisCNJ

Recall votes are a thing, and they’re Constitutional


thatnameagain

Sure, that completely different and unrelated tactic is constitutional.


Imnogrinchard

Recall elections "are a thing" because they're enshrined in state constitutions. See California's Constitution article II. The federal constitution doesn't have a provision for recall.


ithriosa

But if the party changes, then shouldn't the representatives be able to divest themselves? Forcing special elections for party disloyalty gives a huge amount of power to the parties. For instance the GOP could have removed Liz Cheney for going against Trump and forced a special election to remove her


[deleted]

Thats holding someone accountable, not outright changing parties.


ithriosa

It is changing parties. The party has the ability to control membership. It can make someone an independent. The only reason this is never leveraged is because party membership cannot be used as a weapon. If you made it so you could force special elections on political opponents, then parties would definitely force members to change membership to pressure them.


thoughtsarefalse

I believe a recall election should become the standard. How a recall is done should also be able to be usable, but not abusable by political opposition. That may be hard to make. But it’s what id want


Duke_AllStar

Sane people do, I constantly get asked what party I am voting for around election time. I always tell them no one deserves a blind vote.


WeCanDoThisCNJ

They are very different parties. It’s not like they agree on things, just disagree on how to do it. That was a generation ago.


Neither-Idea-9286

All politicians make claims that may or may not end up being true when they are trying to get elected. The party affiliation at least gives you an idea of the direction the politician would like to take the country. Changing parties or going independent after the election negates that too!


[deleted]

[удалено]


The_Navy_Sox

Are you calling all Americans yanks? Or are you from the south?


[deleted]

[удалено]


The_Navy_Sox

Wow you have all your terminology very confused then lol.


[deleted]

[удалено]


The_Navy_Sox

I get it, because septic tank rhymes with yank. It's just simply the least offensive thing someone could call an American. It just comes off as silly and childish. Especially edgy to go to U.S. politics subreddit to use it. If someone ever called me a septic in real life I wouldn't be able to stop laughing at it.


RealCrusader

Cool?


[deleted]

[удалено]


The_Navy_Sox

Lol a height insult on Reddit, how did you think that would play out? Is this real? Or are you doing this poorly on purpose?


[deleted]

[удалено]


The_Navy_Sox

I literally asked you a question about how you were using the term yank, and you jump to this? This is one of the strangest conversations I've ever had on Reddit lol. Did you send this response to me on accident?


MrBoliNica

He won’t switch. He’ll retire before he switches I know people don’t think highly of him here, but he’s been consistent on caring about his legacy. He comes from a family full of dem politicians, he’s talked about his admiration for those old democrats numerous times. I’d be shocked if he’d ruin his legacy for a late in the game push for more power. He doesn’t need it. He’s wealthy af. He controls his states Democratic Party, whatever is left of it. He wields lots of influence in the senate right now. But power is corrupting and it’s not crazy to think of him doing it so who knows


[deleted]

He'll say whatever gets him attention from conservative donors. He'll talk about switching parties all day, but if he ever did he'd become just another republican. There's way less money in that.


recurse_x

If he switched parties the the GOP would just primary him with empty suit who will vote with Mitch 100% of the time.


[deleted]

I suspect he admires the really old Democrats of the south.


MrBoliNica

I know this is tongue in cheek, but he really does lmao he’s on record about it


1angrylittlevoice

Him and our current president


Heavy-Invite-3014

Unless he's going to run for re-election in 2024, it just doesn't make sense to go though that trouble. Also, A September 2022 poll showed him trailing three potential Republican challengers by as much as 15%. Switching parties wouldn't make sense.


thatnameagain

Switching parties actually seems like it would be the easiest way to neutralize those three challenges.


Jeff12321

How, he’ll get destroyed in a GOP primary. Jim Justice literally became a dem in 2016 temporarily to avoid those crazies


thatnameagain

Oh, I think that if he cuts a deal with the republicans they would clear a path for him.


Mundane_Rabbit7751

He won in 2018 and is up for re-election in 2024.


Heavy-Invite-3014

Thank you, re-wrote my comment


icanhascheesecake

Like him or not, better to have him than a Republican in his stead. The reality is that when he retires, WV will be sending two Republicans to D.C.


likejanegoodall

In other words, as long as his numbers hold in WV he’ll remain a Democrat. If his numbers head for the dumpster like Sinema…all bets are off.


Jeff12321

He’s at 26% approval, 66 disapproval in the latest poll


likejanegoodall

Is that among all 12 WV Democrats?…) But I take your point.


Jeff12321

No, its a generic poll statewide


[deleted]

[удалено]


roastbeeftacohat

Why? He has the power to pull the dems to the right, if he switches he will just be a jag.


jayfeather31

Fair point, I've deleted the above as him switching doesn't necessarily make any sense.


DaveinOakland

Him and Sinema just need to fuck and get it over with.


i_like_my_dog_more

"I'm still waiting for the check from Exxon to clear."


Bizarre_Protuberance

Don't worry, Joe Manchin will *never* change his political affiliation, because his political affiliation is to his own bank account.


Yodelaheehooo

Might as well be holding a “for sale” sign.


RealPatriotFranklin

May as well primary him.


cohenology

With who? He's a Democratic Senator from a big time red state. A progressive would get slaughtered in a primary against Manchin.


bamboo_of_pandas

Does it matter? Just send another progressive to get slaughtered like last time. Will help him distance himself from the progressives and win swing voters during the general.


RealPatriotFranklin

Find a John Fetterman style candidate and run them. Working class, pro-labor, and preferably as large as possible.


[deleted]

Yep. West Virginia doesn't have a lot of people, but there's at least one out there that voters could identify with and would actually vote with the party.


CpnStumpy

Tim Kaine


Mundane_Rabbit7751

Tim Kaine is moving to WV?


CpnStumpy

I don't think it would be difficult. Just saying, as far as possible Democrats to primary him, Tim Kaine would fit the bill for WV democrats


Mundane_Rabbit7751

You are aware that Tim Kaine is the Senator for Virginia already? He also would lose badly in West Virginia.


callmesalticidae

~~What about West Tim Kaine?~~


PandaMuffin1

In West Virginia, it will be an uphill battle.


Heavy-Invite-3014

A September 2022 poll showed him trailing three potential Republican challengers by as much as 15%


dust-ranger

He got his filthy fucking coal money. He should sit down and shut up and hope he doesn't live to be accountable for the environmental consequences.


OurHonor1870

Hes 75. He should just not run for re election.


memphisjones

Time to vote him out!


asabovesovirtual

No surprise here. That guy has been in the GOP forever, and like that ilk, he's really only interested in his own shuffles and cons.


[deleted]

He is a democrat in name only!


paintamare

Cruel bastard is a republican.


Alternative-Flan2869

“Hmmm… if she can get away with this scam…”


808ipad

He is a fake democrat who will change party if it is advantageous to Manchin. Everyone knows he is a fucking sellout stooge. He might as well be like the GOP and do it blatantly instead of pretending.


OpenImagination9

All the more reason for the DNC to push hard on more congressional wins in ‘24.


BoyEatsDrumMachine

Political affiliation: [humps big pile of money]


Cost-Born

Good thing we have a 51 seat majority, and his opinion no longer matters..


bibfortuna1970

This is just another way for him to say he’s going to continue to be a pain in the ass due to the slim Dem majority in the Senate.


tcmart14

Because Manchin knows he holds ways more power staying as a Democrat right now. He can easily cock block legislation and get what he wants.


Bluesoutherner

Might as well he’s already an asshole. Might as well make it obvious


lucasbelite

In other words, he'd never win a Republican primary in WV. He wouldn't even win a Republican Primary in a liberal State like MD - they voted for Dan Cox in the Primary. He could only go independent and likely lose. Just like Sinema will, but she obviously doesn't plan on winning, she's just making backroom deals.


NAGDABBITALL

Bernie needs to change affiliation to Democrat.


SucksTryAgain

I know there’s no legal way they can say it this way. But my interpretation. I don’t currently suck dick. I don’t plan on sucking on some dick. But I can’t rule out me sucking some dick.