The Coping and Seething Begins After Joe Manchin Nukes Biden’s Presidency – Opinion

As RedState reported, Joe Manchin has officially killed the “Build Back Better” bill that the administration and Democrat leaders in Congress have fought for months to pass. The move marks a huge blow to Joe Biden’s presidency and also does mortal damage to the trust between the White House and the progressive wing.

Two weeks ago I noticed that Manchin seemed to be stalling and trying to push the deadline before signing off on the bill. This is exactly what appears to have happened.

It feels as though Manchin has stopped moving. Manchin keeps trying to please his party, appearing to be open to their demands. But every time they push him to the edge, he find a reason not to. I think Manchin knows that if this gets into next year that the chance of passage goes down even further, and he’s just fine with running out the clock. I’ve had my doubts about whether he’d hold the line, but I’m starting to believe he knows what he’s doing here.

With the Senate now in recess and next year’s election season just days away, Manchin was in a position to finally have to make a final decision. Now, that decision has been made, and it’s got the left coping and seething at levels not seen since the night of the 2016 election.

Let’s be clear: Manchin’s excuse is bullshit. Pre-Medicare expansion and childcare would be a direct benefit to West Virginians, as well as long-term care.

We warned you that this would occur if Build Back Better was separated from infrastructure. https://t.co/dhzcSk0qUV

— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) December 19, 2021

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I VT) reacts to Senator Joe Manchin’s (D–WV) outrage over President Biden’s Build back Better plan.

“Well, I think that he’s going to have to explain much to the people in West Virginia. pic.twitter.com/448VFowzPC

— The Recount (@therecount) December 19, 2021

That’s pure delusion. West Virginia voters voted for Donald Trump nearly 40 times. It was not about increased spending, which would only increase inflation. Manchin was probably at his breaking point. If we weren’t currently dealing with a massive inflationary boom, he probably would have conceded and voted for the BBB bill. But things became untenable over the last several months and there’s just no way that Manchin could show his face again in his state if he voted for these progressive priorities.

Of course, Manchin’s decision provides some cover for what was going to happen anyway. A Democrat wipeout in 2022.

Biden will be done if Manchin votes no for both BBB or voting. Democracy hangs by a thread. You can’t imagine anyone being more destructive.

— Jennifer ‘pro-voting’ Rubin (@JRubinBlogger) December 19, 2021

It’s so great because Democrats are doing exactly what I expected them to: Blame their 2022 losses on being too progressive. Now that BBB is dead, Democrats, including their media cohorts, are going to scream from the roof-tops that they only lost because they weren’t far-left enough. Then they’ll double down on the crazy going into 2024. Guess where it will lead.

Lastly, let’s address the accusation going around this morning that this is “minority rule.” Contrary to the gnashing of teeth from the left, 51 senators are not a minority, that’s a majority. The minority are actually the Democrats of the Senate who want to pass BBB. It is not possible to change this reality with any amount of spin. Senators are elected to represent their state’s interests, not to please federal leadership in every instance. Manchin made the right decision for his constituents, and also for his political future. That’s what this boils down to.

It doesn’t matter what Bernie Sanders and Ilhan Omar think. This is what drives Democrats crazy. It’s what you love.