Recent reports suggest that Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia has been engaging in discussions with conservative donors, which has led to speculation that he may decide to run for president as a third-party candidate during the 2024 election. Although Manchin has not confirmed nor denied his potential interest in running, the rumors have continued to circulate. According to an insider from the GOP, several conservatives had hoped that Manchin would switch parties and become a Republican. However, given the circumstances, the same adviser suggested that an independent run for the presidency may be the next best option. While Manchin has stated that he will not make any decisions until the end of the year, he has not rejected the possibility of running for president as a third-party candidate.
Manchin himself has added to the speculation, appearing on NBC’s “Meet The Press” last week, where he refused to rule out a run, quoting Abraham Lincoln and invoking the need for unity. Many in the media and political world are drawing comparisons between Manchin’s possible run and Ross Perot’s presidential campaign in 1992, where he ran as an independent and was credited in some circles with causing George H.W. Bush’s loss to Bill Clinton.
Manchin Meeting with Conservative Donors
According to an adviser to major GOP donors, Sen. Joe Manchin has been meeting with conservative donors, stoking speculation that he may run for president as a third-party candidate in the 2024 elections. The adviser stated that several conservatives had hoped that Manchin would switch to the Republican Party. However, an independent run might be the next best thing.
Speculating about Manchin’s Future
Sen. Joe Manchin has yet to make a decision regarding an independent presidential run, as per his statement to Politico. He intends to wait until the end of the year before deciding and has not dismissed the possibility of running on a third-party ticket.
Manchin Refuses to Rule out Presidential Run on Third-Party Ticket
Sen. Joe Manchin has refused to rule out a presidential run on a third-party ticket, adding to speculation that he may run for president as a third-party candidate in the 2024 elections. Manchin appeared on NBC’s “Meet The Press” last week, where he refused to rule out a run, quoting Abraham Lincoln and invoking the need for unity.
Manchin Compared to Ross Perot
Ross Perot’s 1992 independent presidential campaign was a groundbreaking moment in U.S. politics. Perot, a Texas businessman, utilized visual aids to convey his positions on issues and focused on reducing the federal budget deficit while opposing NAFTA. Perot received nearly 19% of the popular vote, the most for a third-party candidate since 1912, yet did not win any states or electoral votes. Despite this, his campaign drew votes away from President George H.W. Bush and played a significant role in Bill Clinton’s election. Many political analysts credit Perot with impacting the election outcome. Sen. Joe Manchin’s possible 2024 third-party presidential candidacy is now being compared to Perot’s campaign due to both candidates’ moderate views and focus on deficit reduction. Perot’s campaign serves as an important moment in third-party U.S. politics, and Manchin’s potential candidacy may have similar impacts on future elections.
According to the University of Virginia’s Miller Center, Ross Perot’s campaign was able to tap into voter frustration over the excessive federal budget deficits and anti-establishment sentiment. Even Vice President Dan Quayle conceded after the election that Perot played a significant role in their loss. Quayle acknowledged that the campaign failed to figure out how to handle Perot’s involvement. The Clinton campaign convinced the Bush team to include Perot in the debates, which ultimately backfired. In the words of James Baker, the chief of staff at the time,
“The Perot factor was clearly a huge factor in that ’92 campaign,”
“We never really figured out how to deal with it. He was in the campaign, then he was out of the campaign, then he was back in. The Clinton people talked our people into letting him into the debates, which was a big mistake. You notice he wasn’t in the debates in ’96, but he was in ’92.”
According to James Baker, who served as George H.W. Bush’s chief of staff during the 1992 presidential campaign, Ross Perot’s candidacy played a significant role in their defeat. Baker claimed that Perot took two-thirds of his votes from Bush’s camp, as opposed to equally from both parties, as Perot had claimed:
“We had Ross Perot taking two out of every three votes from us, and there’s no doubt about that. Don’t believe that baloney that he puts out that he didn’t take from us any more than he took from the Democrats. He took, our polling showed it consistently, two out of every three. He got 19 percent, we got 38 percent. Take two-thirds of 19 percent, and we got 51 percent.”
Manchin would just be wasting money if he was to run as a third party candidate. He would hurt Pedo Joe’s chance to get anywhere and that applies to any Democrap who wanted to run. Manchin forgot the one rule about Democraps that being all they do is LIE. He should have known that Pedo Joe would LIE about that FARCE of a Bill. It only makes INFLATION WORSE not better.
So, if Sen. Manchin decides to run as a third-party candidate, which traditional party would suffer?
Manchin could take away from both parties. More likely from the Republican nominee (Tump) rather than fom President Biden, who probably will be the Democratic nominee. Manchin is often in conflict with left leaning Democrats.
Manchin was a big disappointment to the Democrats of West Virginia and would be a bigger disappointment to America.