Morning Consult released poll results on Monday highlighting the shifting approval ratings of senators for the first quarters of 2021 and 2022. It turns out Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) has had the biggest increase in approval ratings, having gone from a 40 percent approval rating during the first quarter of 2021 to a 57 percent approval rating for surveys conducted January 1-March 31.
In his write-up for Morning Consult, Eli Yokley makes Manchin his headline, writing "Joe Manchin's Approach to Biden's Presidency Is Paying Off in West Virginia." He also highlights how Manchin's approval rating with Republicans is at 69 percent and that "at home in West Virginia, Morning Consult Political Intelligence data suggests the moderate Democrat knows exactly what he's doing."
Yokely also tweeted the graph of change in approval ratings for all 100 senators.
NEW: Over the past year, @Sen_JoeManchin has seen the largest job approval rating improvement of any senator.
— Eli Yokley (@eyokley) April 25, 2022
It places him among America’s 10 most popular senators for the first time since Biden took office. https://t.co/PXyvmdLlL2 pic.twitter.com/MPq40huOUt
Of the 41 senators who have seen an increase in their approval ratings, 16 are Democrats, and 25 are Republicans.
Of the 43 senators who have seen a decrease in their approval ratings, 25 are Democrats, and 17 are Republicans. Sen. Bernie Sanders, an Independent, is also included.
Sixteen senators have seen no change in their ratings.
Manchin is the 8th most popular senator, according to the data. Sens. John Thune (R-SD), John Barrasso (R-WY), and Bernie Sanders (I-VT) make up the top three. They all have a 62 percent approval rating, but Thune has a 28 percent disapproval rating while Barrasso's disapproval rating is at 31 percent and Sanders' is at 34 percent.
Progressives love to dunk on Manchin, which is not exactly surprising since he dares to be moderate, though it doesn't help the substance of their attacks either. The White House has participated, too, as Townhall has covered extensively. Manchin last December effectively killed Build Back Better, the main agenda item for not just progressives, but Biden. It's Manchin's concerns about inflation, but also the insults from fellow Democrats, that may have kept BBB from having any chance of passing, though a much smaller version is being floated around.
Let's keep in mind that West Virginia is one of the reddest states in the country, and voters there are the people whom Manchin is accountable to. A Morning Consult poll also found that the president is least popular in West Virginia, where he is underwater by 50 points. And, according to a Civiqs poll last updated on April 25, 74 percent of West Virginia voters disapprove of Biden's performance, while just 20 percent approve.