Martin Longman a contributing editor at the Washington Monthly.
He is also the founder of Booman Tribune and Progress Pond. He has a degree in philosophy from Western Michigan University.
This race is a real heartbreaker. Fer crissakes, this is the Democrat. Imagine the Republican candidate. WV Dems have a horrible dilemma this November between voting for this tool of the coal industry, or making matters even worse by voting for a Reepub tool of the coal industry who would also add to the Reepub caucus in the senate. Or voting for the Mountain Party candidate or some other independent, thus most likely turning a Democratic vote into a de facto vote for the Reepub. Awful. No matter which way you go, lots of showers after voting, and sleepless nights to follow. To think this is Robert Byrd’s old seat.
I’m West Virginian, and I’m a little torn, about this election. As a progressive (progressive first, liberal second, Democrat third …), I’d hate to see the seat go to a Republican.
BUT! Manchin is just as creepy as the Republican candidate.
-His administration is currently under federal investigation for various corruption-y bits.
-He just loves to hand out plum state jobs to family and friends. (And his daughter was the object of a profoundly embarrassing didn’t-actually-earn-her-degree scandal at WVU not long ago.)
-And he’s frankly pimped out this state to industry and other business interests his entire tenure as governor. (E.g., he even changed the unofficial state slogan – what you see on the signs when entering the state – to “Open for Business,” before enough people pitched a fit and it was changed to the more suitable, traditional “Wild and Wonderful.”)
Manchin sees nothing wrong with mountaintop removal mining, which
(1) employs far fewer miners than traditional mining;
(2) ruins the topography (uh, we’re the “Mountain State” …), thus killing future tourism – a massive source of revenue here – and a lot of what we love about living here;
(3) is hugely environmentally destructive; and
(4) impacts both property values and quality of life for property owners near the MTR sites.
I’m not going to say Manchin’s a bad guy (I don’t know him), but he doesn’t seem to have much spine. He doesn’t seem to know how to stand up to the big money (here, King Coal, mostly) and actually represent average folks. It’s just fact.
And Raese not only will pimp out the state, as a gracious representative of industry, he is industry. (He owns a massive limestone business, among other things.) So, yeah … .
But a vote for the Dem, just ’cause he’s a Dem, even though he’s otherwise gross? I just can’t do it. And, contrary to a post below, third-party folks aren’t just out to spoil it for a decent Dem: that’s just silly. Like they sit around and plot ways to foil decent politicians. And Manchin isn’t a decent Dem! (Ask around, lots of “West Virginia Democrats” would be Republicans anywhere else. Many are ideologically righties, but we’re a traditionally Dem state, so they’ve been afraid to label themselves Republican.)
There is an alternative. The Mountain Party candidate, Jesse Johnson, really does represent things I’d like to see in a candidate. He really is progressive. He really will oppose MTR mining, even though it might anger some of the rich folks here. And he seems to be a fiery fellow. I’m all for more passion and less PC nonsense.
Why not vote for someone who actually stands for what you believe in? (It’s gotta start somewhere, folks. Might as well be here.)
[And, as someone even more cynical than me put it – maybe we don’t have to worry too much about Raese perhaps getting elected. Manchin’s a real political weasel; he’d fit right in, and might really get (destructive) things accomplished. Now, Raese … they wouldn’t even make him chairman of the bathroom committee. 😉 ]
I understand your points, all of them, to one degree ot another. Jesse Johnson is the true progressive candidate in the WV race, and I wish him all the best. I’m not going to say Manchin’s a bad guy either, but just to put that into perspective, I don’t see a lot of difference between him and Don Blankenship, for example. Or Raese for that matter, who lives in Fla for the love of god.
This is what the 2-party system reduces us to, every damn time. It comes down to either voting for a good dem when one is available, or having to decide whether to vote third party and perhaps tip the race to the Reepubs, who are guaranteed to be just as bad as any DINO you’ll ever run across, with the added complication of possibly tipping the control of the House or Senate to the Reepubs.
6 years is a long damn time, and whoever gains that seat is going to be hard to dislodge 6 years down the line. I never thought Saxby Chambliss would ever win re-election, but that happened, and wasn’t even a contest. Now we have the whole Citizens United deal going on, and who knows if we even stand a chance anymore.
I’ve listened to Jesse Johnson, I love his positions, and I believe with all my heart that he’s the best man for the job. But there aren’t any viable scenarios in which he’s going to win. And in a situation like that, you’re caught between voting for a vile Democrat (which Manchin assuredly is) or voting for a Reepub, which is akin to slitting your own throat.
Like I said, an agonizing choice. Compared to that, I almost feel lucky for being an Oklahoma voter, where I know that not matter how I vote, I’m gonna lose anyway. I keep voting, of course.
And yet I hear all the time that this is the best we can do in West Virginia. Why? And I also hear that Manchin should win because he has 70% approval ratings. That Manchin is putting out ads like this suggests polls are either really close, or that Manchin is actually losing. What this really shows is the increasing irrelevance of the Democratic Party. Why? Because what does Manchin agree with on the Democratic Party platform? Why is Manchin even a Democrat and how does he expect to improve WV from his position in the Senate(assuming he makes it)?
Here was a race that screamed out for a strong liberal 3rd party candidate. But no, the Greens, etc., are only interested in trying to spoil the chances of halfway decent Dems.
This pisses me off to no end, too. A lot of my peers tell me to vote Green. Yeah, no thanks. That party wouldn’t know grassroots and organization if they took classes under Saul Alinsky. They always target people like Pelosi, ignoring the moderate Democrats who are in Strong/Lean Dem districts.
There is a Green candidate in this race: Jesse Johnson of the Mountain Party, the WV affiliate of the national Green Party. Johnson is the only candidate in this race who opposes mountaintop removal. He has been endorsed by Ken Hechler for his strong anti-MTR stance.
You can waste your vote for a corporate-sponsored Democrat who’ll obstruct progress from the inside, a la Blanche Lincoln, or on a corporate-sponsored Republican who will obstruct progress openly. Or you can make your vote count by voting for a Green candidate who stands strong for your values.
I actually checked a little before posting and didn’t even find Johnson mentioned in the election articles. Is he getting any help from the so-called left like Act Blue, MoveOn, etc? This sounds like the perfect race to finally back a good candidate against two worthless ones. With the split between the corporatists, this is one time a bunch of money might have actually meant a win.
We need a way to identify candidates like this in races like this in time to pour resources toward them. When you can’t even find them mentioned in the leftysphere, it becomes too late in the game. Dammit.
This could (almost) have been a Russ Feingold ad. Feingold has been campaigning on Second Amendment rights. He opposes “Cap and Trade” because he thinks it will hurt Wisconsin corporations. He is actively courting the Tea Party vote.
Thank goodness there is a Green running in this race. The Mountain Party of West Virginia is the name of the Green Party in West Virginia so there is a true credible progressive on the ballot for U.S. Senate in West Virginia named Jesse Johnson.
Jesse Johnson is the ONLY candidate for Senate opposed to mountain top removal coal mining. The only thing standing between Joe Manchin and his excesses in this area currently is the EPA which is making some efforts to protect Mountains and the headwaters of streams which provide drinking water for many americans.
With both Manchin and his Republican opponent running right and further right, there are many West Virginians who are embracing the campaign of Jesse Johnson!
This race is a real heartbreaker. Fer crissakes, this is the Democrat. Imagine the Republican candidate. WV Dems have a horrible dilemma this November between voting for this tool of the coal industry, or making matters even worse by voting for a Reepub tool of the coal industry who would also add to the Reepub caucus in the senate. Or voting for the Mountain Party candidate or some other independent, thus most likely turning a Democratic vote into a de facto vote for the Reepub. Awful. No matter which way you go, lots of showers after voting, and sleepless nights to follow. To think this is Robert Byrd’s old seat.
I’m West Virginian, and I’m a little torn, about this election. As a progressive (progressive first, liberal second, Democrat third …), I’d hate to see the seat go to a Republican.
BUT! Manchin is just as creepy as the Republican candidate.
-His administration is currently under federal investigation for various corruption-y bits.
-He just loves to hand out plum state jobs to family and friends. (And his daughter was the object of a profoundly embarrassing didn’t-actually-earn-her-degree scandal at WVU not long ago.)
-And he’s frankly pimped out this state to industry and other business interests his entire tenure as governor. (E.g., he even changed the unofficial state slogan – what you see on the signs when entering the state – to “Open for Business,” before enough people pitched a fit and it was changed to the more suitable, traditional “Wild and Wonderful.”)
Manchin sees nothing wrong with mountaintop removal mining, which
(1) employs far fewer miners than traditional mining;
(2) ruins the topography (uh, we’re the “Mountain State” …), thus killing future tourism – a massive source of revenue here – and a lot of what we love about living here;
(3) is hugely environmentally destructive; and
(4) impacts both property values and quality of life for property owners near the MTR sites.
I’m not going to say Manchin’s a bad guy (I don’t know him), but he doesn’t seem to have much spine. He doesn’t seem to know how to stand up to the big money (here, King Coal, mostly) and actually represent average folks. It’s just fact.
And Raese not only will pimp out the state, as a gracious representative of industry, he is industry. (He owns a massive limestone business, among other things.) So, yeah … .
But a vote for the Dem, just ’cause he’s a Dem, even though he’s otherwise gross? I just can’t do it. And, contrary to a post below, third-party folks aren’t just out to spoil it for a decent Dem: that’s just silly. Like they sit around and plot ways to foil decent politicians. And Manchin isn’t a decent Dem! (Ask around, lots of “West Virginia Democrats” would be Republicans anywhere else. Many are ideologically righties, but we’re a traditionally Dem state, so they’ve been afraid to label themselves Republican.)
There is an alternative. The Mountain Party candidate, Jesse Johnson, really does represent things I’d like to see in a candidate. He really is progressive. He really will oppose MTR mining, even though it might anger some of the rich folks here. And he seems to be a fiery fellow. I’m all for more passion and less PC nonsense.
Why not vote for someone who actually stands for what you believe in? (It’s gotta start somewhere, folks. Might as well be here.)
[And, as someone even more cynical than me put it – maybe we don’t have to worry too much about Raese perhaps getting elected. Manchin’s a real political weasel; he’d fit right in, and might really get (destructive) things accomplished. Now, Raese … they wouldn’t even make him chairman of the bathroom committee. 😉 ]
Vote your beliefs, not your fears.
I understand your points, all of them, to one degree ot another. Jesse Johnson is the true progressive candidate in the WV race, and I wish him all the best. I’m not going to say Manchin’s a bad guy either, but just to put that into perspective, I don’t see a lot of difference between him and Don Blankenship, for example. Or Raese for that matter, who lives in Fla for the love of god.
This is what the 2-party system reduces us to, every damn time. It comes down to either voting for a good dem when one is available, or having to decide whether to vote third party and perhaps tip the race to the Reepubs, who are guaranteed to be just as bad as any DINO you’ll ever run across, with the added complication of possibly tipping the control of the House or Senate to the Reepubs.
6 years is a long damn time, and whoever gains that seat is going to be hard to dislodge 6 years down the line. I never thought Saxby Chambliss would ever win re-election, but that happened, and wasn’t even a contest. Now we have the whole Citizens United deal going on, and who knows if we even stand a chance anymore.
I’ve listened to Jesse Johnson, I love his positions, and I believe with all my heart that he’s the best man for the job. But there aren’t any viable scenarios in which he’s going to win. And in a situation like that, you’re caught between voting for a vile Democrat (which Manchin assuredly is) or voting for a Reepub, which is akin to slitting your own throat.
Like I said, an agonizing choice. Compared to that, I almost feel lucky for being an Oklahoma voter, where I know that not matter how I vote, I’m gonna lose anyway. I keep voting, of course.
I don’t have sound right now but I take it he spoke out against the climate bill and for gun rights?
W/e. It’s West Virginia, and I heard he’s been a good governor. Better than the Republican.
I’m not convinced we had 50 votes for a bill, let alone 60. Just protect the EPA.
Get sound. It’s much worse than you think.
Yeah, you were right. Who does he think he’s kidding? Cut federal spending? Yeah, ok, Joe Miller. Your state and Alaska are the Kings of Pork.
The best part is Manchin’s running so far to the right that he’s losing.
Yeah — Manchin and Ben Nelson will be great butt buddies (with the occasional Landrieu thrown in for the tantalizing threesome). With Dems like these…
And yet I hear all the time that this is the best we can do in West Virginia. Why? And I also hear that Manchin should win because he has 70% approval ratings. That Manchin is putting out ads like this suggests polls are either really close, or that Manchin is actually losing. What this really shows is the increasing irrelevance of the Democratic Party. Why? Because what does Manchin agree with on the Democratic Party platform? Why is Manchin even a Democrat and how does he expect to improve WV from his position in the Senate(assuming he makes it)?
This is why I don’t give a dime to the DSCC.
Here was a race that screamed out for a strong liberal 3rd party candidate. But no, the Greens, etc., are only interested in trying to spoil the chances of halfway decent Dems.
This pisses me off to no end, too. A lot of my peers tell me to vote Green. Yeah, no thanks. That party wouldn’t know grassroots and organization if they took classes under Saul Alinsky. They always target people like Pelosi, ignoring the moderate Democrats who are in Strong/Lean Dem districts.
There is a Green candidate in this race: Jesse Johnson of the Mountain Party, the WV affiliate of the national Green Party. Johnson is the only candidate in this race who opposes mountaintop removal. He has been endorsed by Ken Hechler for his strong anti-MTR stance.
You can waste your vote for a corporate-sponsored Democrat who’ll obstruct progress from the inside, a la Blanche Lincoln, or on a corporate-sponsored Republican who will obstruct progress openly. Or you can make your vote count by voting for a Green candidate who stands strong for your values.
http://www.jesse4ussenate.org/
I actually checked a little before posting and didn’t even find Johnson mentioned in the election articles. Is he getting any help from the so-called left like Act Blue, MoveOn, etc? This sounds like the perfect race to finally back a good candidate against two worthless ones. With the split between the corporatists, this is one time a bunch of money might have actually meant a win.
We need a way to identify candidates like this in races like this in time to pour resources toward them. When you can’t even find them mentioned in the leftysphere, it becomes too late in the game. Dammit.
ok, that was funny
This could (almost) have been a Russ Feingold ad. Feingold has been campaigning on Second Amendment rights. He opposes “Cap and Trade” because he thinks it will hurt Wisconsin corporations. He is actively courting the Tea Party vote.
Politics has become so depressing.
Thank goodness there is a Green running in this race. The Mountain Party of West Virginia is the name of the Green Party in West Virginia so there is a true credible progressive on the ballot for U.S. Senate in West Virginia named Jesse Johnson.
Jesse Johnson is the ONLY candidate for Senate opposed to mountain top removal coal mining. The only thing standing between Joe Manchin and his excesses in this area currently is the EPA which is making some efforts to protect Mountains and the headwaters of streams which provide drinking water for many americans.
With both Manchin and his Republican opponent running right and further right, there are many West Virginians who are embracing the campaign of Jesse Johnson!
I hope he wins.