Unwise For Republicans To Denounce Lisa Murkowski, And Democrats To Denounce Joe Manchin: They Could Switch Parties After Midterm Elections

Now that the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court has been accomplished, by the smallest margin since 1881, there is discussion in both political parties about retribution to be paid for the one Republican Senator, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and the one Democratic Senator, Joe Manchin of West Virginia, who broke ranks in their parties and voted against the party line.

This is very unwise, and could reverberate after the midterm elections are completed.

What if the US Senate ends up with a 50-50 split, which would give Vice President Mike Pence the ability to organize the Senate for the Republicans?

If Lisa Murkowski is angry in November, she could decide to switch parties, becoming a Democrat, as long as the party promised, with her 16 years of Senate experience, to give her a committee chairmanship. That would make the Senate 51 Democrats and 49 Republicans, backfiring on the Republicans.

Or what if the Senate became 51-49 Democratic, and Joe Manchin decided to switch to the Republican Party, making a 50-50 tie, giving Mike Pence the ability to organize the Senate for the Republicans?

What it comes down to is that no political party should punish its members because they are not always in lockstep with their party.

There is no reason why all Democrats have to be to the left of center, and all Republicans have to be to the right of center.

In the past, there were a lot of people who “crossed the aisle” on a regular basis, and accomplished great goals, as for instance Lyndon B. Johnson gaining support of many Republicans for the Civil Rights Act of 1964 due to his ability to work with Republican Senate Minority Leader Everett Dirksen.

Another instance was a deal on Social Security reform in 1983 between Ronald Reagan and Democratic House Speaker Thomas “Tip” O’Neill.

The only way to move ahead is to overcome the confrontational, no holds barred rhetoric, that now has made Congress such an inept institution, and promote willingness of both parties to negotiate and compromise for the good of the nation and its future.

6 comments on “Unwise For Republicans To Denounce Lisa Murkowski, And Democrats To Denounce Joe Manchin: They Could Switch Parties After Midterm Elections

  1. D October 10, 2018 11:36 pm

    I appreciated this interview on “The Real News” in which “The Nation’s” D.D. Guttenplan talks about his new book, “The Next Republic: The Rise of a New Radical Majority.” The first few minutes of the video quickly summarizes the appeal of the book. It is history.

    https://youtu.be/nXL7kO5t5NQ

  2. Ronald October 11, 2018 6:03 am

    Very fascinating new book!

    Thanks, D!

  3. Pragmatic Progressive October 11, 2018 2:47 pm

    Michael is now a Tropical Storm and it’s coming through our neck of the woods today. Lots of heavy rain, flash flooding going on.

  4. Pragmatic Progressive October 11, 2018 3:03 pm

    We’re in the remnants of the eyewall. Winds getting rather gusty. Looking at the radar, it looks like the track moved further west than initially anticipated.

  5. Southern Liberal October 11, 2018 9:07 pm

    I heard a reporter on the Weather Channel mention that the storm is so powerful it’s still going to be a tropical depression as it tracks across the Atlantic to France.

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