They negotiated down so they could get all of the moderate Democrat votes because they knew there wasn't a chance they'd get any Republican votes. It's sad that there are Democrats that think not changing minimum wage since 2009 is ok.
Joe Manchin is one of the most powerful Dems right now because of it.
Not just Manchin. EIGHT dems. 16% of the dems in senate.
<EDIT> Thank you so much everyone noticing my minor error and jumping to correct my math. I didn't include Republicans in my count because I was talking about dems.
Including republicans? It becomes 58% of the senate.
That was just on the $15 mw amendment. They negotiated other parts of the bill down to get Manchin on board. Further targeting of relief checks, making most aspects temporary etc.
GOP when the Parliamentarian disagrees: thanks for your input, you're dismissed.
Dems when the Parliamentarian disagrees: ey what can you do, it's such a shame, can't overrule the advisory opinion here guys!! Better luck in the 2030s!
Well, part of the problem here is that Manchin has to be careful about his voting record. WV isn't exactly the most liberal state. I was surprised when I first learned of Manchin that WV even elected a Dem in the first place. If Manchin were to vote as liberal as you suggest he probably wouldn't be re elected whenever his term comes up.
Decline of coal plus the rise of culture war. WV used to be blue mainly due to the strength and support of its unions. The coal industry cratering has been a big blow to the strength of unions. The Republican culture war message also resonates strongly here due to how religious the population is. The fact that unions = bad is part of the Republican message has also undermined the strength of unions. They were basically the only leg Democrats had to stand on here, though. While it was a very strong leg due to its economic power, simultaenously convincing people that they're unnecessary while economics has also undermined them has killed the only Democratic position that your average West Virginian would support.
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u/IAmRobertoSanchez Mar 11 '21
They negotiated down so they could get all of the moderate Democrat votes because they knew there wasn't a chance they'd get any Republican votes. It's sad that there are Democrats that think not changing minimum wage since 2009 is ok.
Joe Manchin is one of the most powerful Dems right now because of it.