Joe Manchin Should Quit Wasting Time Negotiating With Republicans

I'll be fair to Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) by highlighting his attempts at brokering some kind of bipartisan alternatives of the For The People Act & John Lewis Voting Rights Act with the Senate Republicans, but there comes a point where it becomes an exercise in futility. Mitch McConnell has signaled more than once that his conference won't negotiate at all. Their whole attention is set towards recapturing their lost trifacta in 2024, and the only way to do that is to set up the conditions for Donald Trump's comeback.

The Republicans are lining themselves up to shoot down Manchin's proposal despite its more modest approach than what was passed by the House of Representatives earlier this month. They're keenly aware of the effect the proposal will have on them in federal elections in 2022 and beyond.