If there’s one thing that has pleased me in this darker part of our American history, it’s that when a politician manages to screw over the people who hired them, they suddenly find themselves in line at the figurative chopping block.
Wyoming’s Liz Cheney has already lost her head, but now West Virginia’s Joe Manchin is being led to the gallows. Unlike Cheney, he’s got two years to talk himself out of it, but his betrayal is going to have long-lasting effects.
As you can see in the clip below, Meet the Press’s Chuck Todd put up a poll that showed just how people are feeling about the two politicians that both party members consider to be traitors. Cheney has an approval rating of only 28 percent, with a disapproval of 35 percent. Meanwhile, Manchin only has an 11 percent approval rating, while his disapproval rating is 34 percent.
Cheney has made it clear that she has political ambitions beyond her failure to get reelected but it’s unclear how she’ll find herself in office ever again, at least with an R attached to her name. Even Mitt Romney gave her a snowball’s chance, and he’s of the same species she is.
This is what happens when you literally utilize the power you were given for a purpose that served only the self. The people of Wyoming wanted Cheney to do their business and speak with their voice when she went to Washington. Instead, she went on a crusade to punish Orange Man for a crime he clearly didn’t commit, and the longer her little January 6 committee went on, the more evident it became that Donald Trump was innocent and the more it became clear that this was personal for Cheney .
Manchin’s sin might have been worse. While Cheney’s betrayal shouldn’t be understated, Manchin’s betrayal blindsided the people of West Virginia and the rest of the country in the process.
Manchin had acted as a moderate Democrat for a good portion of his career, even to the point where Republicans had a soft spot for him. It had appeared that when it comes to responsible fiscal decisions, Manchin could be relied upon to make them. While he didn’t make too many friends on the Democrat side of the aisle in Washington, he endeared himself to moderate Democrats and Republicans alike with his stances, especially under pressure. In a way, his refusal to follow the radicals of his own party made him the most powerful Democrat in Washington, as every play the Democrats wanted to make came down to whether or not Manchin would go along with it.
Apparently, all it really took was Democrats giving him a sweetheart deal in order for him to sign on to pass a bill that Democrats claimed to reduce inflation but, in reality, was really just a climate bill in disguise. Manchin knew what it was but signed on anyway, betraying the trust of everyone who liked him and setting the United States on a path to a far larger IRS, more inflation, and not much else.
At this point, even Manchin can’t defend the bill.
It’s pretty easy math. Betray your constituents and you won’t have any anymore. While some politicians who are so embedded in D.C. culture may find a way to be career politicians, most of these seats aren’t permanent positions.
You can probably stick a fork in Cheney. She’s done. Manchin better find a way to seek forgiveness and soon. Two years are going to pass really quickly.