No Joe!

Manchin is still a pain in the ass.

West Virginia senator is retiring but no longer is vying for president. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) announced that he will not seek a third party challenge to President Joe Biden and Donald J. Trump, if the former president secured the Republican nomination. 

Republican insiders were hoping the conservative Democrat and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) would break from the president and endorse a third party candidate under the No Labels brand. Manchin could siphon votes from Democrats. 

Manchin, a millionaire senator from West Virginia was then governor. He was once a reliable Democrat. But as West Virginia became more friendlier to Republicans, he voted like them. Matter of fact, the state itself is considered an easy pickup knowing that millionaire and current governor Jim Justice is vying for the seat and Democrats don't have a candidate strong enough to fight the Republican. I am sure we'll have Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) annoy us until his term ends.

"I will not be seeking a third-party run. I will not be involved in a presidential run," Manchin said during a speech. "I will be involved in making sure that we secure a president that has the knowledge and has the passion and has the ability to bring this country together."

Manchin said that a third party could be viable down the road, but that a bid this year would have been “very challenging.” He added that he didn't want to be a "deal-breaker" or a "spoiler."

"I just don’t think it’s the right time," Manchin said. "We’re on a real teetering situation here that could go either way. Democracy is at stake right now."

Manchin, 76, had said last November that he would not seek re-election to his Senate seat this year, leading to speculation that he would run for the White House as an independent or as a third-party candidate.

Democrats feared a Manchin candidacy would have pulled votes away from President Joe Biden and boost former President Donald Trump, the 2024 Republican frontrunner, in a general election.

Manchin sometimes sabotages big Democrat bills because he wants to be bipartisan.

Manchin told reporters after his speech Friday that he spoke with Biden before he made his announcement, calling their conversation "very, very respectful."

In a statement following Manchin's announcement, former Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman, former North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory and civil rights leader Benjamin Chavis Jr., the national co-chairs of No Labels, said they were speaking with "several exceptional leaders" about a possible presidential ticket.

Manchin said he planned to eventually endorse a candidate for president. He also didn't rule out leaving the Democratic Party, but said he wants to try to fix it first.

"I would like to think you can save your family," Manchin said. "Or you can save your party that you were raised in."

As a Democrat representing a red state, Manchin has long been vocally critical of both major parties and the political system as a whole, a note he struck once again during his speech to about 80 attendees on Friday.

"I am convinced you can’t fix it from Washington. I’ve tried for 14 years and I saw break last week,” Manchin said, referring the the failed bipartisan border bill.

Manchin has not endorsed a Biden reelection. Biden shouldn't even care.