West Virginia Democratic Senator Joe Manchin announced on Thursday that he would not be seeking reelection and instead hinted that he might make a third-party run for president. The liberal ladies of ABC’s The View took the possibility very seriously on Friday and openly worried about how Manchin could hurt President Biden’s reelection chances, and how he was always the “problem child” in the Democratic Party.
“So, politically now, we have to talk because Senator Joe Manchin – remember him from West Virginia,” Friday moderator Joy Behar asked as if he was a nobody. “He has a lot of people wondering if power in D.C. will shift for the right because yesterday he announced he’s going to end his tenure as the Senate's worst Democrat. He’s right there with that other – Kristen [sic] [Kyrsten] Sinema,” she announced.
Following an edited soundbite of Manchin’s announcement video, Behar huffed about Democrats losing the Senate to faux-conservative Alyssa Farah Griffin:
BEHAR: So, we’re going to lose the Senate because of this?
FARAH GRIFFIN: Very likely. So yeah, congrats to Democrats applauding this losing control of the Senate, likely. Listen, Joe Manchin is a consummate moderate because you have to be in red West Virginia. Jim Justice will very likely win the seat.
“Joe Manchin was hinting potentially a third-party run. People have wondered if he’d jump into the No Labels kind of discussion,” Farah Griffin noted. “I've been largely critical of No Labels because my fear is that, A, it would end up boosts Trump…”
That fear aside, Farah Griffin explained that she was “warming to the idea” of supporting that party because, “[w]hen six in ten Americans say they don't want Donald Trump and they don't want Joe Biden, that offers people like me an alternative.”
The idea of promoting a third party didn’t sit well with racist and anti-Semitic co-host Sunny Hostin, who led other cast members in railing against them (click “expand”):
HOSTIN: So, I think that is one of the reasons why he made this announcement, and I don't know historically if a third-party candidate has ever been successful other than in drawing votes away from one of the majority candidates.
BEHAR: Yes. Ralph Nader ruined the whole thing with Al Gore.
ANA NAVARRO: Jill Stein.
HOSTIN: Jill Stein.
BEHAR: Jill Stein.
HOSTIN: So, I think it's a bad idea. I think it’s a much better idea to have a healthier Republican Party that is not led by Donald Trump.
Of course, to her, it was the Republicans who were the problem. “I think it’s time for Republicans that are moderate and that are sophisticated to step up and denounce Trump and I think that would solve the problem much more so than this sort of -- this No Label party,” she chided.
“On Joe Manchin, you know, he’s been a problem child for Democrats for the last few years,” faux conservative Ana Navarro whined. She decried the No Labels Party as just “a desperate cry for relevance and attention by a bunch of elitist former "Something" who are thirsty to be part of the conversation.”
As usual, she started screaming about how Manchin and former 2012 GOP presidential candidate Jon Huntsman (who’s also the father for former View co-host Abby Huntsman) were endangering America because they could get Trump elected:
Joe Manchin – And what I would ask Jon Huntsman, what I would ask Joe Manchin is: are you willing to be responsible for putting Donald Trump back in the White House? The man who's been a threat to democracy, a threat to American values, who led an insurrection? Are you willing to be part of something that may end up putting that man, who should be nowhere near the Oval Office, should be in a jail cell, are you going to be responsible for that?
Co-host Sara Haines disagreed and touted the idea of the No Labels Party and was shouted at by Hostin. “But it’s never worked! It’s never worked! Think about the Green Party. It never worked!” she shrieked.
The transcript is below. Click "expand" to read:
ABC’s The View
November 10, 2023
11:02:47 a.m. EasternJOY BEHAR: So, politically now, we have to talk because Senator Joe Manchin – remember him from West Virginia? He has a lot of people wondering if power in D.C. will shift for the right because yesterday he announced he’s going to end his tenure as the Senate's worst Democrat.
[Laughter]
He’s right there with that other – Kristen [sic] [Kyrsten] Sinema. Another one. Those are not great Democrats but West Virginia will never do another red Democrat I don't think. But let's watch him tell us what he's going to do.
[Cuts to video]
SEN. JOE MANCHIN (D-WV): I've made one of the toughest decisions in my life and decided that I will not be running for re-election to the United States Senate. But what I will be doing is traveling the country and speaking out to see if there is an interest in creating a movement to mobilize the middle, and bring Americans together. [Transition] We need to take back America and not let this divisive hatred further pull us apart.
[Cuts back to live]
BEHAR: So, we’re going to lose the Senate because of this?
ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN: Very likely. So yeah, congrats to Democrats applauding this losing control of the Senate, likely. Listen, Joe Manchin is a consummate moderate because you have to be in red West Virginia. Jim Justice will very likely win the seat. But I was interested in what he said in that video --
BHEAR: What's his name? Jim?
FARAH GRIFFIN: Jim Justice, former governor of West Virginia who’s running for the Senate. And my friend Moore Capito will likely be the next governor of West Virginia. But that aside, it seemed like he was hinting – Joe Manchin was hinting potentially a third-party run. People have wondered if he’d jump into the No Labels kind of discussion.
I've been largely critical of No Labels because my fear is that, A, it would end up boosts Trump in getting more supporters to him but also I think for a third party, which we need in this country to come about it's going to take years not one cycle.
BEHAR: Right.
FARAH GRIFFIN: However, I am warming to the idea – and let me say this. When six in ten Americans say they don't want Donald Trump and they don't want Joe Biden, that offers people like me an alternative. And when I see the people associated with it: Governor Larry Hogan; a moderate Republican governor in a blue state. People like Jon Huntsman, who was an excellent governor and former presidential candidate. That makes me interested. I'm willing to hear what they have to say, but I worry that it could end up boosting the more dangerous candidate.
SUNNY HOSTIN: See, I think it’s actually more than just an idea in Manchin's head. Because Manchin and Romney – just an hour after Manchin’s announcement a group filed paperwork, right, with the FEC to forma draft committee designed to encourage Manchin and Utah Senator Mitt Romney to launch a third presidential bid.
So, I think that is one of the reasons why he made this announcement, and I don't know historically if a third party candidate has ever been successful other than in drawing votes away from one of the majority candidates.
BEHAR: Yes. Ralph Nader ruined the whole thing with Al Gore.
ANA NAVARRO: Jill Stein.
HOSTIN: Jill Stein.
BEHAR: Jill Stein.
HOSTIN: So, I think it's a bad idea. I think it’s a much better idea to have a healthier Republican Party that is not led by Donald Trump. I think it’s time for Republicans that are moderate and that are sophisticated to step up and denounce Trump and I think that would solve the problem much more so than this sort of -- this No Label party.
BEHAR: Why not primary Biden? Why run against him? Why not just primary him?
NAVARRO: There’s people already running in a primary against Joe Biden. There’s Dean Phillips from Minnesota. There’s what's her name?
[Crosstalk]
NAVARRO: Yeah, Marianne Williamson.
HOSTIN: Kennedy.
NAVARRO: Now the truth is, that it's very late in the game. In some of these states some of these very important states – places like Nevada – the filing deadline to be in a primary ballot has already passed.
On Joe Manchin, you know, he’s been a problem child for Democrats for the last few years. He and Kristen [sic] [Kyrsten] Sinema. But he has been part of the family and he’s kept them in the majority. So, he’s played a very important role.
Agree with you. I think that Governor Jim justice, former governor will win. This is the guy – he’s like the epitome of West Virginia. He’s this Southerner, very successful businessman with Baby Dog. He’s got this dog, Baby Dog he takes everywhere.
SARA HAINES: Oh, whoa!
FARAH GRIFFIN: Baby Dog for president.
NAVARRO: I would vote for Baby Dog for –
BEHAR: But is this guy, Justice, is he a very right-wing kind of guy?
NAVARRO: He’s very conservative and he has had very high approval numbers in West Virginia.
Now, Joe Manchin and this listening tour. Look, I liked when No Labels first came on the scene. I think they were, did this Problem-Solvers Caucus; in Congress, they were trying to find bipartisan solutions. This thing to me is a desperate cry for relevance and attention by a bunch of elitist former "Something" who are thirsty to be part of the conversation.
Joe Manchin – And what I would ask Jon Huntsman, what I would ask Joe Manchin is: are you willing to be responsible for putting Donald Trump back in the White House? The man who's been a threat to democracy, a threat to American values, who led an insurrection? Are you willing to be part of something that may end up putting that man, who should be nowhere near the Oval Office, should be in a jail cell, are you going to be responsible for that?
BEHAR: What do you think his answer would be?
HAINES: Let me jump in because I fully disagree – I don’t think it’s right for this election because of the risk running against a Donald Trump. I absolutely love the idea of a No Labels Party. I love it for everything it stands for. 47 percent of this country identifies as independent. That’s more than double on each side. I'm one of those independents.
People are more moderate in this country and the two parties aren't getting the job done. One of the worst things we’re seeing in D.C. – and we talk about it here every day – is the partisan and power over people. It is the fall in line or leave. That is not healthy. It does not capture what we want in this country.
By the way, things changed as a glacial pace here. So start your listening tour, go talk to the people. I think to team up with a Republican and Democrat ticket would be amazing. Every great idea in this country started as a crazy one. And I think it should start now.
HOSTIN: But it’s never worked! It’s never worked! Think about the Green Party! It never worked!
HAINES: But this country has never more extreme right now on the party. The parties have gotten so far apart they can no longer capture the middle.
(…)
