If republicans have a 97% chance if retaking West Virginia, Senator Joe Manchin should take note. Repubs should go after him hard to switch parties if demos still control the senate after the elections.
Manchin may indeed switch, but he still is quite liberal (a 74% leftist rating for the duration of his time in the Senate). The GOP’s most left-wing Senator is ME’s Susan Collins (and her lifetime rating is 52% leftist, though she has scored 72% leftist in 2013 and 80% in 2012). There’s also talk he may leave the Senate entirely to run for Governor again in 2016 (which would force a special election that the GOP would almost surely win).
Add to that, Maine’s “Independent” Angus King, a very left-wing member (87% leftist) has indicated he wants to serve in the majority, and hence would vote to organize with the GOP, so there’s 2 gains numerically (though certainly not ideologically).
“If republicans have a 97% chance if retaking West Virginia, Senator Joe Manchin should take note. Repubs should go after him hard to switch parties if demos still control the senate after the elections.”
Agree. Depending on the scenario that plays out as a result of this election, I think Joe is flippable. Naturally, he would have to be offered some goodies to do so. But, we shall see....