Outgoing Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) is exploring a late run for the White House and can sway voters in both major parties if he decides to enter the race, veteran campaign observers told The Post on Friday.
The 76-year-old moderate Democrat announced Thursday that he would not seek reelection to the Senate and would instead embark on a tour of the United States “to see if there is interest in creating a movement to mobilize the media and bring Americans together.” ”.
Manchin’s vague rhetoric and previous refusal to rule out running for higher office have set tongues wagging, although the senator’s team remained tight-lipped about their plans when asked by The Post on Friday.
“I’m sure he’s floating the test balloon to see if anyone would bite,” said Republican strategist John Thomas, adding that Manchin was virtually “forced out” of his Senate seat by the prospect of defeat next year. year at the hands of popular Republican Governor Jim Justice.
Joe Manchin has never ruled out a presidential run in 2024.AP
“He had no choice but to resign unless he wanted to march to his own death,” Thomas said. “So that’s something that encourages that decision. Then the second is that, while they force him to resign, you know, all the senators would like to be president if they could.”
The chances of Manchin following in the footsteps of Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.) and challenging President Biden for the Democratic nomination are slim to none, as the deadline to register for the primary election has passed in the early states of Nevada. , New Hampshire. and South Carolina has already passed.
But Manchin, who has repeatedly expressed his belief in “putting country before party,” may have better luck launching an independent bid.
“If he can sense there’s enough traction for him,” the senator can throw his name out there “if only to shake things up,” Republican strategist Dave Wilson told The Post, saying Manchin “could definitely start taking votes away from both of them.” “Republicans. and Democratic candidates.
West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice seeks U.S. Senate seat.AP
Manchin’s long-standing relationship with the centrist group No Labels, which is seeking to run a third-party candidate against Biden and likely Republican nominee Donald Trump, has also fueled speculation about an imminent announcement.
“The only thing they’re asking is, ‘Do American citizens want other options?’” Manchin said of No Labels last August. A month earlier, the Democrat had headlined a tag-free event with former Utah Republican Gov. Jon Huntsman in New Hampshire.
No Labels has said it will announce its candidate in April and is working to get that person on the ballot in all 50 states.
If Manchin runs as an independent, especially if he has the support of No Labels, “he would probably get enough votes to cause a lot of problems,” said Democratic strategist Brad Bannon.
President Biden said West Virginians should be “proud” of Joe Manchin and praised their past work together. AP polls show that most voters are not enthusiastic about voting for Joe Biden or Donald Trump.Getty Images
“It will have an impact on the race because it appears to be a very close presidential race. And if he has the support of No Labels and their money, and his access to the polls, I think he’s probably more likely to have a national impact as an independent than Robert Kennedy Jr.,” Bannon added, noting that Manchin “runs a close surveillance”. .”
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Cornel West are already creating headaches for national parties with their independent candidacies, and more unaffiliated candidates would only add to the electoral chaos.
“This is really going to end up distorting the electoral math for both sides, because there could be quite a long vote of truly viable candidates on Election Day,” Wilson said.
The number of confirmed and potential independent candidates is another hurdle Biden must overcome, Thomas argued.
A large independent list is “an echo chamber of ‘Anyone but the incumbent,’ as if there is a problem with the incumbent,” he said.
“I think this scenario is Biden’s biggest problem. He needs everyone to come together and unite around one thing, which is not Trump.”
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Source: vtt.edu.vn