Oct. 25, 2010
Manchin Now Becomes a Man Without a Political Home
Campaign 2010 Analysis: The Raese/Manchin U.S. Senate Race
By Huntingtonnews.net Staff
Patricia Murphy, Capitol Hill Bureau Chief for the popular online site, Politics Daily, is out with a story featuring an interview with Governor Joe Manchin about his struggling campaign for U.S. Senate against Republican businessman John Raese. Murphy asked Manchin if he endorsed Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada) for President Barack Obama for a second term.
In a show of just how far the race with Raese has changed the Governor's position toward his own party's top leaders, Manchin declined to endorse either Reid or Obama--his most dramatic attempt yet to wriggle free from his Democratic leadership.
"The whole problem with Manchin as we move through this campaign is that his positions are constantly shifting," said Jack Ellis, Senior Political Analyst for HNN. "It's as though he doesn't think the voters here remember how he loved being included by his party's leadership on Obamacare and Cap and Trade."
"Joe Manchin was President Obama's best friend, the coal state Governor who would stand up for Cap and Trade or a Carbon Tax," Ellis. "And then again on Obamacare. The Obama Administration always knew they'd have a ready volunteer in Joe Manchin of West Virginia. Now Manchin is trying to distance himself from Obama and Harry Reid, but it's a little late, with just a week to go."
"Separating Joe Manchin from his national Democratic Party's leadership would be like tearing the Captain away from Tony Tenille," said Ellis. "Nobody believes that this is anything but Election Year politics for Manchin to suddenly disown Obama and Harry Reid."
"People forget that we all knew that Manchin was cozying up to Obama and Harry Reid long before John Raese's "rubber stamp" ads came along," said Ellis. "Those ads resonated because they confirmed what we already had figured out, namely that Joe Manchin longed to hang out with Obama."
"Well, you know what they say: "Be careful what you wish for,"" said Ellis. "Manchin got his fifteen minutes of national attention by being willingly used by Team Obama on issues ranging from health care to stimulus to Cap and Trade."
"Those issues didn't work out very well, so if he loses to Raese, he is just paying the natural political price for backing a losing horse," Ellis said. "There's no reason for him to act shocked by the voters' reaction to his close relationship with Obama now. Apparently, the voters were shocked first by Manchin's constant cozying with Obama, even on issues like Cap and Trade that they perceived as hurting West Virginia."
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Manchin Now Becomes a Man Without a Political Home
Campaign 2010 Analysis: The Raese/Manchin U.S. Senate Race
By Huntingtonnews.net Staff
Patricia Murphy, Capitol Hill Bureau Chief for the popular online site, Politics Daily, is out with a story featuring an interview with Governor Joe Manchin about his struggling campaign for U.S. Senate against Republican businessman John Raese. Murphy asked Manchin if he endorsed Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada) for President Barack Obama for a second term.
In a show of just how far the race with Raese has changed the Governor's position toward his own party's top leaders, Manchin declined to endorse either Reid or Obama--his most dramatic attempt yet to wriggle free from his Democratic leadership.
"The whole problem with Manchin as we move through this campaign is that his positions are constantly shifting," said Jack Ellis, Senior Political Analyst for HNN. "It's as though he doesn't think the voters here remember how he loved being included by his party's leadership on Obamacare and Cap and Trade."
"Joe Manchin was President Obama's best friend, the coal state Governor who would stand up for Cap and Trade or a Carbon Tax," Ellis. "And then again on Obamacare. The Obama Administration always knew they'd have a ready volunteer in Joe Manchin of West Virginia. Now Manchin is trying to distance himself from Obama and Harry Reid, but it's a little late, with just a week to go."
"Separating Joe Manchin from his national Democratic Party's leadership would be like tearing the Captain away from Tony Tenille," said Ellis. "Nobody believes that this is anything but Election Year politics for Manchin to suddenly disown Obama and Harry Reid."
"People forget that we all knew that Manchin was cozying up to Obama and Harry Reid long before John Raese's "rubber stamp" ads came along," said Ellis. "Those ads resonated because they confirmed what we already had figured out, namely that Joe Manchin longed to hang out with Obama."
"Well, you know what they say: "Be careful what you wish for,"" said Ellis. "Manchin got his fifteen minutes of national attention by being willingly used by Team Obama on issues ranging from health care to stimulus to Cap and Trade."
"Those issues didn't work out very well, so if he loses to Raese, he is just paying the natural political price for backing a losing horse," Ellis said. "There's no reason for him to act shocked by the voters' reaction to his close relationship with Obama now. Apparently, the voters were shocked first by Manchin's constant cozying with Obama, even on issues like Cap and Trade that they perceived as hurting West Virginia."
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