Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) has announced he is not running for re-election next year.
Why?
Is it because he’s just tired of being a U.S. Senator?
Is it because his almost-certain opponent, highly popular Republican Governor Jim Justice, is way ahead of him in the polls and very likely to stay that way?
Is it because Manchin intends to run for something else? Like, for example, President?
And if it is because he intends to run for President, will it be as a challenger to Joe Biden or as a third-party candidate?
Given Manchin’s maverick status as a Democrat who, for the most part, has strongly opposed his party’s leftward lurch, a presidential run – whether third-party or as an alternative to what is left of Joe Biden – could get very interesting very fast.
And if his intention is to challenge Biden, where does that leave “Mr. Hair” – California Governor Gavin Newsom?
Stay tuned.
