Joe Manchin cast the final vote on the Inflation Reduction Act, and it could cost Manchin his political career, in the event that a new poll is accurate.
Manchin, who had initially said he would not sign any new spending bills during the current inflation, changed his position in July. The bill he helped negotiate, which was estimated to cost nearly one trillion dollars, contained extravagant green energy subsidies and payments to special interest groups. The bill also was the equivalent of a lying to Republican senators who relied on the senator to honor his promise regarding reconciliation after his vote in favor of CHIPS Act.
The cost of Manchin's move will be due in many ways. Triton Polling and Research surveyed Manchin against three possible Republican opponents in 2024, which results are astonishing.
Jim Justice, the current governor of West Virginia, a popular and boring Republican persona. In general, it's clear that he's a good choice to support the GOP agenda. Patrick Morrisey lost to Manchin the last time around after the Democrat barely managed to win by three percent. It's quite a surprise to see him lead by double digits. Regarding Alex Mooney, he doesn't appear to be the most effective option to get Manchin pay the price of the political debt he's accumulated.
However, the main issue isn't about GOP candidates. The issue is that Manchin has destroyed his career in politics to keep the climate hysterics of the left content. I wonder if he thinks it was worthwhile. Other polls also indicate his negative rating among Democrats remains low. He didn't get any advantage from any of the voters who he attempted to woo. On the other side, the support he used to have from Republicans (especially moderate ones) has gone down completely.
It is unclear why he made the choice that he did. Manchin had the opportunity to show voters in his home state he was a man of his word, ensuring not only his re-election but also the legacy among the people he represents. Instead, he lied to the voters who supported him to secure a pen from Joe Biden, a few days of acclaim from the media, and a declining approval rating.
Even more troubling, the bill is nothing more than a handout for wealthy Californians who wish to purchase electric vehicles, but it doesn't offer anything that is of any value for West Virginians. In all the talk about “permitting reform,” it certainly hasn't been done yet.
What was the plan here? Did it really boil down to Chris Coons puffing Manchin up about being an icon to the left? If the senator was this foolish, he surely deserves his upcoming demise.
