Sen. Joe Manchin (Iowa, Virginia) on Monday called for a competitive Democratic nomination process, saying he wants centrist voters to feel they have a say.
“I want to give a voice to the center, I want the center of this country to be able to say, ‘We have a voice. We are not far left or far right.’ I don’t live my life like that. Why should we only have two choices, basically the two extreme parties,” he told CNN’s Casey Hunt.
President Biden decided to withdraw from the presidential race after receiving multiple requests to do so, and he quickly endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to top his list of candidates.
“All of the calls and all of the information that’s coming in, you just can’t be sure at all until you see what the process is like for them. And I think that alignment doesn’t necessarily produce the strongest team fundamentally. There’s a good chance that Kamala could be that person. And I think going through some kind of process has been very enlightening for everybody,” Manchin said.
West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin leaves the Democratic Party and registers as an Independent
Sen. Manchin said Monday he wants a competitive nomination process and wants to give the nation’s center a say. (Screenshot/CNN)
Manchin added that many of the Democrats being considered as Harris’ running mate have not gone through a “process,” arguing that the public does not know where they stand.
“I’m an Independent right now. 51 percent of people who vote are registered as Independents. Only 23 percent are registered Democrats and 25 percent are registered Republicans. If neither side can capture the middle, the core and common sense of this country, and they just want to water it down a little bit and not pressure me even though they think it’s part of their policy and they’re reaching out to their base, is that the state of the country? I don’t see why we have 51 percent like me? How are they going to get Democrats like me back?” he said.
Manchin also said: He called for a “mini-primary” on “CBS Mornings” Monday and made it clear he has no plans to run.
“I’m not going to be a presidential candidate. I’m basically a candidate who represents the middle ground in this country,” he said.
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President Joe Biden speaks at a campaign event at Pullman Yard in Atlanta, Georgia, on March 9, 2024. (Megan Varner/Getty Images)
Asked if he would consider Harris as vice president, Manchin quickly replied, “No.”
“The system expects there to be some debate, something to happen, and there’s plenty of time, but we’re acting as if there’s no time,” he added.
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Biden touted his achievements in a lengthy letter posted to social media on Sunday and said he would speak in more detail about his decision to withdraw later in the week.
“Serving as your president has been the greatest honor of my life,” Biden said in the open letter. “While I intended to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and my country to step aside from office for the remainder of my term and focus on fulfilling the duties of my presidency.”
