[ad_1]
In his May 14 op-ed, “Joe Manchin could take on the stagnant party duopoly,” George F. Will accurately assessed the unique space on the political spectrum Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.) occupies today. Indeed, Mr. Manchin’s centrist positions on most issues encapsulate both the median and mean of American political preferences currently bifurcated by “today’s stagnant party duopoly.” This leads many pundits to conclude the West Virginian would be a competitive third-party presidential candidate.
After polling Americans last year to determine whether Democrats and Republicans agree on anything, however, the Economist noted, “Americans from both sides of the political aisle expressed equally unfavourable views on Mr. Manchin.” This is an underappreciated paradox: Mr. Manchin’s voting record is arguably a political amalgamation of Americans in the aggregate, but this apparently produces more unfavorable than favorable ratings for the centrist senator among American voters. As President Biden and former president Donald Trump can attest, it’s difficult to win a presidential election when you’re viewed unfavorably by most Americans.
T. Michael Spencer, Washington
[ad_2]
Source link
