The media effort to stop a potential presidential run from Democratic Senator Joe Manchin (WV) was an all-hands-on-deck “imperative” Tuesday evening. The latest member of the Acela Media to try to deflate the Manchin balloon was CBS Evening News anchor Norah O’Donnell.
WATCH as O’Donnell cuts right to the heart of the matter and asks Manchin: “Wouldn't you be helping to elect Donald Trump?”
O’DONNELL: Senator Manchin has been involved for years with No Labels, a centrist organization that is exploring a third-party unity candidate in 2024.
Senator, address this concern. If you ran on a third-party ticket, wouldn't you be helping to elect Donald Trump?
MANCHIN: I don't buy that scenario. I've heard that. And I wouldn't buy that scenario because if you look back in history how things have played out, I don't think they thought Ross Perot would elect Bill Clinton. Now that we see the- some polls with Bobby Kennedy Jr., would be helping -- would be helping Joe Biden because it takes votes from Donald Trump. I've never been a spoiler at anything. I've never tried to. I compete the best I possibly can. I compete to win. Okay? And I am going to work, right now, to try to win the middle back. They've got to decide, I want things different. I want to make a change.
This wasn’t the only shot O’Donnell took at a potential Manchin presidential run. Later on, she would ask:
O’DONNELL: Senator Romney told me, I really think that independent candidates are likely to elect Donald Trump, and I think him being elected again would be devastating for our country and its character. Do you agree with that?
MANCHIN: I agree with the second part, not the first. He and I have talked about this many times. I think the best you can say that it- it’s going to help or hinder one over the other.
The invocation of Mitt Romney was intended to somehow sway Manchin as if Romney were the Ghost of Bipartisanship Past. Mark my words, it won’t be long before someone tries to sit Romney and Manchin down and try to talk them out of running, with a camera rolling.
In this Orwellian media environment, up is down, good is bad, and democracy is anti-democratic if it poses a threat to the current regime. After all, can democracy really be democratic if it helps elect Donald Trump? The answer, increasingly, seems to be a resounding NO.
Click “Expand” to view the aforementioned interview as aired on CBS Evening News on Tuesday, November 14th, 2023:
NORAH O’DONNELL: And we were also on Capitol Hill today to sit down exclusively with senator Joe Manchin. It is his first interview since announcing he wouldn’t seek another term in the Senate. And the moderate Democrat didn’t rule out a run now for the White House.
Senator, the big question everyone’s asking is, will you run for president?
U.S. SEN. JOE MANCHIN (D-WV): It’s not about me. It's not about the next election. I keep telling people, this is a movement.
O’DONNELL: Are you thinking about running for president?
MANCHIN: I don't know what the future lies. I know that we can’t continue the direction we are going.
O’DONNELL: That’s why Senator Manchin says he wants to mobilize the middle.
People feel politically homeless.
MANCHIN: I feel politically homeless.
O’DONNELL: You do?
MANCHIN: Mmhmm.
O’DONNELL: The West Virginia senator says he won't vote for Donald Trump and isn't sold on Joe Biden, either.
Do you think President Joe Biden deserves a second term?
MANCHIN: I think the people make those choices, I can’t make that choice.
O’DONNELL: But you’re a Democrat.
MANCHIN: I'm a Democrat- I’m an American first. I'm an American. I'm an independent, I think. I don’t know what I am. I can tell you this. I feel comfortable working with both sides.
O’DONNELL: Senator Manchin has been involved for years with No Labels, a centrist organization that is exploring a third-party unity candidate in 2024.
Senator, address this concern. If you ran on a third-party ticket, wouldn't you be helping to elect Donald Trump?
MANCHIN: I don't buy that scenario. I've heard that. And I wouldn't buy that scenario because if you look back in history how things have played out, I don't think they thought Ross Perot would elect Bill Clinton. Now that we see the- some polls with Bobby Kennedy Jr., would be helping -- would be helping Joe Biden because it takes votes from Donald Trump. I've never been a spoiler at anything. I've never tried to. I compete the best I possibly can. I compete to win. Okay? And I am going to work, right now, to try to win the middle back. They've got to decide, I want things different. I want to make a change.
O’DONNELL: How do they do that?
MANCHIN: Getting involved. Saying, hey, listen. You’d be surprised at how things can happen when there is a movement saying, you’re not giving me an option.
O’DONNELL: What’s causing the election of increasingly more partisan people? Less moderates. Why isn't the system electing moderates?
MANCHIN: The system is closed. It’s a closed system. The business model is basically, you control all of- from birth to the finality of it. So if it’s starting at the grassroots levels back in your home, could be a home district, could be a home state, whatever, senators are statewide. Congresspeople are districtwide. If it's basically designed that we are going to have this ideology no matter what, whether it’s you, me, or whoever, but someone that comes from what we consider more extreme has a better chance of winning than someone that’s more moderate or conservative.
O’DONNELL: Senator Romney told me, I really think that independent candidates are likely to elect Donald Trump, and I think him being elected again would be devastating for our country and its character. Do you agree with that?
MANCHIN: I agree with the second part, not the first. He and I have talked about this many times. I think the best you can say that it- it’s going to help or hinder one over the other.
O’DONNELL: So you and Mitt Romney have talked about whether an independent candidate would help elect Donald Trump?
MANCHIN: You can't help but can't talk about it because that’s all you hear about in the press. We have agreed to disagree.
O’DONNELL: Are you concerned, then, if next year’s presidential election is Donald Trump versus Joe Biden?
MANCHIN: Very concerned. Sure.
O’DONNELL: Why?
MANCHIN: It would be detrimental for a person who I tried to work with as president --
O’DONNELL: Donald Trump.
MANCHIN: Right, and I couldn't get there with Donald Trump. But to basically- this visceral hatred and degradation of human beings and talking about people that make up America, you know, you can't -- you can't be a person who believes the only fair election is the one you win. You can't be a person who believes that the only laws pertain to everybody but me. There is no privilege like that in America. It wasn’t designed that way.
