Jonathan Bernstein, Columnist

Democrats Can’t Blame Joe Manchin Anymore

He may have been difficult to deal with but they’re going to miss him when he’s replaced by a Republican.

November 10, 2023 at 5:23 PM UTC

Jonathan Bernstein is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering politics. A former professor of political science at the University of Texas at San Antonio, he wrote A Plain Blog About Politics.

You’re gonna miss me when I’m gone.
Photographer: Al Drago/Bloomberg

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West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin’s announcement that he won’t seek reelection means the end of years of liberal Democrats blaming him for nearly everything that goes wrong. It will also end years of careful hand-holding and management by Senate Democratic leaders and Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden.

They’re going to miss him when he’s replaced by a Republican in 2025, worsening Democrats’ odds of maintaining their slim Senate majority.