Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia spent his entire political career, spanning more than 40 years, as a member of the Democratic Party. That run ended on Friday, when he announced that he was leaving the party to become an independent. But though Manchin is ending a decades-long association, this news feels less like a shocking twist than an acknowledgement of the status quo between Manchin and a party where he’d worn out his welcome.
For years, he has kept the national party at arm’s length in order to survive politically in West Virginia . Every decision he’s made since arriving in Washington — including his defense of the filibuster over expanded voting rights and defense of coal — has been done through the lens of local politics, for better or for worse.