Sen. Joe Manchin (I-WV) is the last of a dying breed: the rural conservative Democrat. In 2010, I remember his campaign ad where he vowed to fight back against cap-and-trade policies; he shot the bill, which was used as target practice. If you didn’t know any better, you’d think Manchin was a Republican. Manchin left the Democrats before his departure from public life, and this new survey shows he made the right choice.
The former US Senator from West Virginia appeared on Fox News, where he learned that 62 percent of Democrats prefer socialism to capitalism. Manchin’s response was perfect:
Reporter: Sixty-two percent of Democrats say they prefer socialism over capitalism.
— DSA Watch (@DSA_Watch) June 29, 2026
Joe Manchin: If they do, there isn’t a Democratic Party left. I can’t put up with that crazy shit. That’s nuts! pic.twitter.com/Xh1VAUcZfN
If they do, then there isn’t a Democratic Party left. That’s crazy. That is crazy. That is absolutely insane…I can’t put up with that crazy shit. That’s nuts.
Manchin added that this is another reason why he’s no longer a Democrat.
Hey, Democrats, you needed candidates like him to win elections. Manchin said he told Chuck Schumer often that the party would be ruined if they didn’t get serious about rural Americans, but to no avail. Now, Democrats are a regional, coastal, and urban-based elitist party.
Manchin also talked about looking to independent voters to keep things in check.
When the parties become so focused on control, they eventually lose control. That's exactly what happened to the Republican Party, and it's happening to the Democratic Party today. The extremes are driving the conversation while the majority of Americans are being left behind.… pic.twitter.com/BaNYerMDVj
— Senator Joe Manchin (@Sen_JoeManchin) June 29, 2026
