Radicalized Democrats pushed out a moderate candidate for not being radical enough. It caused them to lose, bigly.
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2024/11/06/dems-chased-moderate-joe-manchin-out-now-lose-his-senate-seat-1500627/Dems chased moderate Joe Manchin out, now lose his Senate seat
The upset comes after Manchin stood up to the Democrat Party, of which he was a member, refusing to go along with the progressive agenda they tried to enact following President Joe Biden’s win. His unwillingness to fall in lockstep with the rest of the party made him deeply unpopular until May 2024 when he officially registered as an Independent.
“From my first day in public service in 1982, I have always focused on doing what’s best for my state and my country, without regard to party or politics,” he wrote at the time. “Throughout my days in elected office, I have always been proud of my commitment to common sense, bipartisanship, and my desire to bring people together. It’s who I am. It’s who I will always be. I have never seen America through a partisan lens.”
“However, since becoming a United States Senator in 2010, I have seen both the Democrat and Republican parties leave West Virginia and our country behind for partisan extremism while jeopardizing our democracy. Today, our national politics are broken and neither party is willing to compromise to find common ground. To stay true to myself and remain committed to put country before party, I have decided to register as an independent with no party affiliation and continue to fight for America’s sensible majority,” he concluded.
