Sen. Joe Manchin (D-West Virginia) will continue to run for president in 2024 on an “unlabeled” ticket if President Joe Biden, 81, has “health concerns.” He has reportedly expressed interest.
If Mr. Manchin enters the race, he could siphon votes away from Mr. Biden and doom the president’s re-election campaign.
Democrats have expressed concern for months about Biden’s chances of winning in 2024 because of insufficient polling on his age and fitness.
- Redfield & Wilton Strategy: Majority of Democrats are ‘concerned’ about Biden’s ability.
- YouGov: 55% say Biden’s health and age are “significantly” limiting his ability to perform his job.
- NBC News: Most registered voters have ‘major’ concerns about Biden’s age and health.
Manchin acknowledged his role as a national symbol of the “fiscally responsible and socially considerate” middle class, CNN reported. report However, the president will only run if he experiences “health concerns” and “may run as an independent this year.”
The nonpartisan establishment group No Labels Ticket has set a deadline for Manchin to decide whether to run for president, around Super Tuesday in mid-March. That means it will take about a month and a half for him to make a decision. No Labels leaders told CNN they do not know whether the retiring West Virginia senator will run.
According to Breitbart News, Manchin is dissatisfied with many of Biden’s fiscal and energy policies and has set up a meeting to talk with the president about the issues in hopes of bringing Biden to the center. requested the White House. CNN reported that the White House refused to meet with him, “rather than risk upsetting him by going to see him in person.”
Biden aides reportedly recognize that Manchin is a huge threat to his re-election campaign and fear the Democratic senator will warn voters about Biden’s far-left policy positions. He says he is concerned.
Manchin has previously expressed reluctance to enter the race solely to undermine Biden’s re-election bid, but noted that a lot can change during an election cycle. did. “I’ll tell you, I’ve never spoiled the election and I never will,” Manchin told Fox News. “If I’m involved, I’m in it to win. But I would never spoil the election to spoil it one way or the other.”
“Third-party attempts will be defined by Super Tuesday, for example. If there’s any movement.” “So we’ll see where we are at that point. Both parties seem to be struggling with candidates right now.”
“I think we’ll start to see what the situation is after Super Tuesday. A lot of things can change over the next two months. So, let’s wait and see,” he added.
