- Written by Anthony Zurcher
- North American correspondent
image source, Getty Images
Manchin is a centrist alternative to voters dissatisfied with both Donald Trump and Joe Biden.
There could be an audible sigh of relief from the Biden camp on Friday when Joe Manchin, one of the most high-profile centrists in American politics, announced he would not run for president.
The West Virginia senator said he was considering running to offer an alternative to voters dissatisfied with both Joe Biden and Donald Trump.
Self-described “conservative Democrats” have criticized both major political parties and their leaders in recent years.
Democrats feared an independent bid could help hand the White House to Republicans in the November election.
Mr. Manchin finally stopped speculating on Friday, appearing to acknowledge that the possibility of such an unexpected outcome was a factor in his decision not to run.
“I'm not going to break the deal or spoil the deal,” he said in a speech in his home state.
News of Manchin's decision will be welcomed at the White House.
Amy Walters, editor of the Cook Political Report, which analyzes campaigns and elections, said, “Democrats are not looking for third-party candidates, especially those from more moderate centrist circles.'' I'm very excited.”
Given that polls show that a majority of Americans are dissatisfied with a rematch between Biden and Trump in the 2020 election, there is little hope for an independent or third-party campaign this year. It has been suggested that there are soils that are
“Voters who don't support Trump may switch to another candidate,” Walters added.
But Manchin may not have been in the best position to take advantage of this political situation.
At 76 years old, the senator is close to the same age as his rivals in the two major parties, so he could not present a youthful contrast. And while Mr. Manchin's brand of political moderation with a focus on budget restraint may have won support from some Democrats and Republicans, in the current climate of political polarization, There may be limits to the appeal.
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After rumors spread about Manchin's decision, the centrist group No Labels, which is reportedly considering running for president and considering Manchin as a candidate, issued a statement saying it would continue its work. Announced.
“No Labels is currently in discussions with several distinguished leaders about serving as a unified presidential candidate,” the group posted on social media. “We continue to make significant progress in our ballot access efforts and will announce whether we will offer unity tickets in the coming weeks.”
Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, who was reportedly being considered by No Labels, announced earlier this week that he would run as a Republican for the state's vacant Senate seat, effectively removing his name from consideration. .
With what is shaping up to be a close race between Mr. Biden and Mr. Trump, small changes in voter preferences could have a big impact on the final outcome of the presidency. In 2020, for example, Biden won three key states: Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Wisconsin by a combined margin of just 44,000 votes.
Several independent candidates are already running, including Robert Kennedy Jr. and academic Cornel West, but an electoral wildcard could disrupt what has been a relatively stable 2024 campaign. may be significantly shaken.
