IN DEFENSE OF JOE MANCHIN

Gruenenfelder makes the case for West Virginia senator Joe Manchin in this debut nonfiction book.

Dismayed by attacks on Joe Manchin from fellow progressives, the author, a Democratic Party organizer, wrote this book in support of the moderate West Virginia senator, whose stances on coal and his “folksy reputation for compromise and working across the aisle” have made him a target of the left. Hoping to dissuade prominent Democratic fundraisers and politicians from primarying the blue senator from a deeply red state in his upcoming reelection, Gruenenfelder asserts in his central argument that future progressive victories are “impossible if we don’t actually control the levers of government.” After beginning with a brief biography of Manchin, the grandchild of impoverished Czech and Italian immigrants, the book presents chapters divided thematically by issues that range from the Affordable Care Act to minimum wage. Emphasizing the fact that Manchin has voted with President Joe Biden’s agenda “nearly 90% of the time,” the author convincingly makes the case for Manchin’s liberal record protecting Planned Parenthood, safeguarding funding for health care, advocating for LGBTQ+ rights, and pushing back against Donald Trump’s Covid-19 rhetoric. Indeed, as the book highlights, Manchin votes with his party at more reliable rates than progressive standard-bearers such as Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders. And while certainly eccentric (the senator lives on a houseboat docked in Washington, D.C., that he bought from liquidators), Manchin, per the book, is a savvy, soft-spoken politician whose pragmatic approach is essential to his ability to maintain electoral support. A political organizer born and raised in Los Angeles who’s led student protests against gun violence, Gruenenfelder allows that Manchin’s views do not “represent the future of our party” while making a strong case for the senator’s political value. Written explicitly for fellow Democrats, the book’s overt partisanship may not appeal to all readers, though its engaging narrative offers a comprehensive overview of an influential politician’s career, supported by sound research and more than 1,200 endnotes. The author’s accessible writing style will appeal to policy wonks and casual observers of U.S. politics alike.

A cogent and well-argued case for an oft-maligned politician.