Former Sen. Joe Manchin advocates for politics of the center

When it comes to politics in the U.S. right now, things are “not good,” former Sen. Joe Manchin told National Press Club President Mark Schoeff during a conversation about the theme of his recent memoir at a Headliners Book Event on Feb. 24. 

“I don’t think anyone thinks this is normal,” Manchin responded to a question from Schoeff about whether national politics are better, worse or about the same since his departure from the U.S. Senate a year ago.

Manchin said extreme partisanship has led to political gridlock and the inability to pass meaningful legislation. Politicians aren’t reaching over party lines because “the lines have become a wall.” 

In the memoir, “Dead Center: In Defense of Common Sense,” released last fall, the former senator advances his position that the key to successful governance is the common sense politics of the center.  

“One open-minded senator, who is not afraid of standing dead center, can make all the difference in the world,” Schoeff said, quoting from the book.

Manchin served as the U.S. senator from West Virginia from 2010 to 2025 and as governor of West Virginia for two terms, in 2004 and 2008. In May 2024, he changed his party affiliation from Democrat to Independent, but continued to caucus with the Democrats.

“We’ve never passed a piece of legislation from the extremes. The far left and far right have never passed a piece of legislation, to date. And I’ve been involved for forty-four years,” Manchin said. 

Schoeff noted that as senator, Manchin played a pivotal and powerful role as a dealmaker and tie breaker in a chamber split 50-50 along party lines. He endeavored to maintain a centrist position, which at times involved breaking ranks with his own party.  

Manchin recalled a dialog with former President Joe Biden in one such instance regarding Biden’s Build Back Better Act. The former president had asked everyone to leave the Oval Office, to leave Biden and Manchin alone to discuss the bill. Manchin, who viewed it as fiscally irresponsible legislation, said to Biden, “[t]his is an overreach. We'll throw this country into a spiral, an absolute financial debt spiral. We might throw the whole world into a great depression. This is going to be six to ten trillion.” Manchin’s refusal to support the act killed its passage. He said after that, “[a]ll hell broke loose and they came after me every way they possibly could for eight months.” Such was the price Manchin paid for sticking to his own core beliefs.

According to Manchin the road to the center means that Democrats need to meet Republicans center right — and Republicans meet Democrats center left (a little bit). Failure to do so leads to government shutdowns. “The United States Senate is the most unusual body that the world and history has ever known. Nothing like it,” Manchin said. When there is no compromise, “we’re the only nation in the world that shuts things down,” he added.

As senator, Manchin had a unique way of getting colleagues from opposing parties to communicate across the aisle and compromise on important issues: he invited an equal number of senators (usually three) from each party to drink and dine on his boat on the Potomac River. “Come down to the boat, and have dinner and a few drinks and we’ll sit there and we’ll work it out,” he said. 

Manchin recalled an amusing anecdote when former Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa, already on the boat, saw Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas walking down the ramp. Harkin exclaimed, “Let me off this boat! I can't.” Manchin got him another glass of wine and unhooked the lines. The next day, Harkin and Cruz worked out a meaningful piece of legislation together.

In discussion with Schoeff, Manchin focused on two extremely partisan and troubling policies of the Trump administration — immigration, and the U.S.’s treatment of allied countries.

Speaking about U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Manchin said “[Trump] is overplaying his hand with basically paramilitary in the streets, camouflaged as ICE agents. We’ve never done that. Never. I’ve been around seventy-eight years. I’ve never seen that.” He added, “If you don’t look just exactly the way they think you should look, by God they’re going after you. We’ve just never done that.”

On the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Manchin said that “the whole reason for NATO is not to have a third world war, [to have] like-minded people work together to help each other.” 

Manchin believes that his views are not just his own — that the majority of Americans also reject the recent shift to extreme partisanship and policies. In “Dead Center,” Manchin wrote that Americans “feel politically homeless and helpless to do anything about it.” And that the majority of Americans share his faith in common sense politics, which is in sum: “Put people first and country before party; be fiscally responsible and socially compassionate.” 

Interestingly, Schoeff pointed out that in fact, the "Independent party" is trending in America and is now representative of just under half of Americans (including himself).