How Joe Manchin Speaks for a lot of Americans.

[BGBD]

Written by Harry Enten, one of the best data journalists out there today.


https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/12/politics/joe-manchin-analysis/index.html

[-misanthroptimist]

1. Now, let's get a gauge on how meaningful such stats are

Ask the exact same sample of people if the laws of gravitation should be amended.

[Jerry2144]

3. Let's revise the laws of gravity

Because they're too stirct. I want to be able to throw myself at the ground and miss. I've got a towel so I should be all set!

[Aristus]

4. Be sure you have someone or something to distract you at the crucial moment.

A bottle of Ouzo should do the trick...

[-misanthroptimist]

6. You sound like one hoopy frood!

[TwilightZone]

2. He also speaks for his constituents.

A lot of people seem to have a problem with that.

[gratuitous]

5. Does he, though?

The polling in West Virginia indicates that the people of that state support making it easier to vote and greater access to health care to name just two issues that Sen. Manchin is holding up while he continues his Ahabesque quest for 10 honest Republicans in the Senate.

[Fiendish Thingy]

8. 79% of WV voter support the For the People Act, including 76% of Republicans

So, no, Manchin doesn’t speak for his constituents, he speaks for his donors.

[nuxvomica]

7. But there's a disconnect on what the filibuster means

I think when you poll people about the filibuster they imagine Jimmy Stewart in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, an impassioned, physically rigorous holding of the floor that ultimately ends by attrition. Today, all they have to do is announce the block and it's done. They can go on about their business. No cost to them.

[edhopper]

9. To limit this analysis to the fillibuster is disengenuous at best

and misleading at worse.
Instead let us look at all the things, from Voting Rights to Infrastructure to Healthcare to Taxes and so on that Manchin's stance will result in no movement all.
Do the majority of Americans approve of nothing being done? Because when it comes down to it, that is what Manchin is advocating.

[wellst0nev0ter]

10. How many times has this "data journalist"

Not how much the goops speak for the majority of Americans?

CNN wants Dems to fight a unilateral war.

[lagomorph777]

11. Most Americans have no idea what a Filibuster is. This analysis ignores the real issues...

...which they do care about. Infrastructure, voting rights, etc.

[George II]

12. Not only that, but with all the recent attacks on Manchin everywhere....

....no Senator has voted with Biden more this session than Senator Manchin:

https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/biden-congress-votes/

These 35 Senators are tied, voting with Biden 100% of the time:

Sherrod Brown
Michael F. Bennet
Maria Cantwell
Benjamin L. Cardin
Thomas R. Carper
Robert P. Casey Jr.
Christopher A. Coons
Richard J. Durbin
Dianne Feinstein
John W. Hickenlooper
Mazie K. Hirono
Martin Heinrich
Margaret Wood Hassan
Amy Klobuchar
Mark Kelly
Angus S. King Jr.
Tim Kaine
Patrick J. Leahy
Ben R. Luján
Robert Menendez
Christopher Murphy
Joe Manchin
Jon Ossoff
Alex Padilla
Gary C. Peters
Jack Reed
Charles E. Schumer
Debbie Stabenow
Jeanne Shaheen
Kyrsten Sinema
Brian Schatz
Tina Smith
Raphael G. Warnock
Sheldon Whitehouse
Mark R. Warner

After those 35, these are the remaining 15 and their rankings (10 tied for 36th, 3 tied for 47th):

36 Tammy Baldwin
36 Richard Blumenthal
36 Cory A. Booker
36 Catherine Cortez Masto
36 Tammy Duckworth
36 Edward J. Markey
36 Jeff Merkley
36 Jacky Rosen
36 Jon Tester
36 Ron Wyden
36 Elizabeth Warren
47 Kirsten E. Gillibrand
47 Patty Murray
47 Chris Van Hollen
50 Bernard Sanders