This Week in Politics
Hero or Hindrance to Progress? Joe Manchin’s Departure From Capitol Hill
After well over a decade in the Senate, Mr Manchin has decided to end his extraordinary political career in the Senate. A Democrat in deep Republican territory having been both the governor and Senator of West Virginia (a state which Mr. Trump won by a margin of 36% in 2020) Mr Manchin is extraordinary for a Democrat to say the least. Joe Manchin has stated that his time in the Senate is over, however, he’ll be travelling the country to see if the centrists of America are willing to mobilise – perhaps to support a Joe Manchin campaign for the top job in 2024. Joe Manchin has throughout his career gutted progressive democratic legislation, needing to tread a fine line considering his conservative state. This made him a disgrace in many democrats’ eyes, not living up to the progressivism that they characterise with the party. For others he was a bipartisan icon managing to find broad support across the aisle from both Democrats and Republicans, Joe Biden owes some of his biggest policies to the West Virginian. To say the least, Mr Manchin reflects an America of the past – an America based on tolerating and anti-extremism, an America that no longer exists in the eyes of many, however, that should exist according to said people. Republicans now say they fancy their chances in West Virginia and sources close to the Biden campaign say that their are concerns of how a Joe Manchin run would effect Mr Biden’s poll numbers
Home Secretary of Britain Suella Braverman’s Future on the Line
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has a decision to make: to sack or not to sack Suella Braverman, that is the question. Mr Sunak has been put under increased pressure to sack the Home Secretary due to her fiery article calling the Metropolitan Police (MET) politically biased; other factors are also at play. To summarise Mrs Braverman has been criticised by senior police and other sitting ministers for stoking “hatred and division” ahead of a pro-Palestine protest, Mrs. Braverman is married to Rael Braverman, someone she describes as a strong practitioner of the Jewish faith. The Home Secretary accused the MET of “double standards” and “playing favourites when it comes to demonstrators.” Alongside the METs and some minister’s criticism five of the opposition parties have called for her resignation, stating, Mr Sunak would be a weak leader if he didn’t sack her.
The Third Republican primary debate – still no Donal J. Trump
The third Republican primary debate of 2023 is a part of the history books. Mr Trump didn’t attend raising the question of whether it is the GOP debate considering over 50% of the Republican electorates are pledged to others than those on the debate stage (namely Mr Trump). Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina Governor and former UN ambassador, was the overwhelming winner of the debate managing to absorb attacks whilst staying on the offensive. Ron DeSantis attempted to stay clear of controversial issues and managed his best debate performance so far. Vivek Ramaswamy who saw early success has traded down the polls reaching lows of 5% compared to double that just weeks ago. Chris Christie and Tim Scott seemingly don’t stand a chance. Despite the strong showing of Ms Haley and Mr DeSantis, the question of how they’ll beat Donald J. Trump remains – perhaps the ongoing trial against him or a conviction might change the hearts of some or an even stronger debate showing, though it seems unlikely.
Will Mike Johnson see the same fate as John McCarthy – House Republicans fight in the political arena overspending and the seemingly imminent shutdown
What tanked John McCarthy’s speakership is back on the table and the division within the republican party seems insurmountable, will Mike Johnson’s speakership end before it even began and is his fate already sealed to be the same as his predecessor John McCarthy? The slim majority the GOP holds in the House means that the party needs a great deal of coordination to pass bills due to the difference in opinion among moderate and right-wing representatives, with the more right-wing wanting to cut spending and some Republicans calling to postpone the government shutdown until mid-January with no change in spending until then.
