Joe Manchin slated to speak at New Hampshire town hall amid speculation over third-party bid

NEWS AND OPINION:

There’s a town hall meeting of note scheduled in New Hampshire — and this one has some interesting dynamics.

No Labels is an interest group that has long been interested in centrist politics and possible third-party presidential candidates. The organization is hosting the upcoming event, and the keynote speakers are Sen. Joe Manchin, West Virginia Democrat, and former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, a Republican.

Deemed a “Common Sense Town Hall,” the gathering takes place Monday at Saint Anselm College in Manchester — the longtime showcase for serious politicians.

“It is clear that most Americans are exceedingly frustrated by the growing divide in our political parties and toxic political rhetoric from our elected leaders. Our political discourse is lacking engaged debates around common sense solutions to solve the pressing issues facing our nation. I am looking forward to modeling this type of conversation with my good friend, Gov. Huntsman. The things that unite Americans are much stronger than the things that divide us and I am confident that will be evident throughout our discussion,” Mr. Manchin said in a written statement.

“New Hampshire has long occupied a unique place in American politics, which makes it a special place to discuss the most important issues facing our country. There’s never been a more critical time to remind ourselves that we are all Americans,” Mr. Huntsman said, also in a statement.

So what are the implications?

“Speculation grows over whether the senator will make a third-party bid for the White House. Amid polling showing a potential rematch between President Biden and former President Trump, No Labels has been pushing to create a separate ‘unity ticket’ as a third option for voters in 2024,” The Hill said.

“Frantic Democrats are trying to stop the event out of fears it could siphon off votes from Joe Biden to hand Donald Trump a victory,” The Daily Mail declared.

Faulty ‘Bidenomics’

President Biden’s economic agenda is “decimating Americans’ finances” and “Bidenomics is failing Americans,” the Republican National Committee said in a meticulous analysis released Wednesday.

“Hardworking Americans are struggling to stay afloat financially as Bidenomics continues to drain the wallets of families and businesses across the country. Prices have risen by 16.6% since Biden took office — with Americans still reeling from the lasting effects of inflation. On a year-over-year basis, inflation under Biden has averaged 6.2% – more than double the level of inflation seen under any of the last four presidents,” the analysis said.

“With persistent inflation having eaten away at wage gains, more and more Americans are struggling financially. Bidenflation outpaced wages for a majority of Biden’s presidency — real average hourly earnings were negative for 25 months and real average weekly earnings were negative for 26 months,” it said.

“Inflation-adjusted average hourly wages — the Bureau of Labor Statistics adjusts to 1982-1984 dollars — were $11.39 when Biden took office and are now $11.05, meaning Americans have seen a 3% pay cut under Biden,” the research said.

The latest consumer price index was released Wednesday and now stands at 3%. Find this report at GOP.com, under the “News” section.

Republicans also appear to excel in jobs and employment.

“The latest state jobs report shows that eight of the top 10 states for jobs recovered since the coronavirus pandemic began are led by Republican governors, and all 10 states have Republican-controlled legislatures. Out of the top 16 states with the lowest unemployment rates, 13 are led by Republican governors,” the GOP analysis said.

The research was also based on current Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

The Democrats’ take

Financial matters can be subject to interpretation, however. Democratic National Committee Chairman Jaime Harrison released this statement in response to the aforementioned consumer price index:

“Today’s CPI report is yet another reminder that Bidenomics is working. For the 12th straight month, annual inflation has fallen and is now down to 3% — the lowest it has been in over two years. Under President Biden and Vice President Harris, unemployment remains near historic lows, wages are up, and we’ve had the strongest pandemic recovery of any leading economy. This progress isn’t a coincidence, it is a direct result of President Biden’s agenda of growing the economy from the bottom up and the middle out — not the top down,” he said.

Why she left

Georgia state Rep. Mesha Mainor was a Democrat — until Tuesday, when she revealed that she had left the Democratic Party and joined forces with the GOP.

“I didn’t leave the Democrat party. The Democrat party left me when it embraced left-wing radicalism and lawlessness, then put the interests of illegal aliens over the interests of Americans,” she said at a news conference on Tuesday in Atlanta.

“This wasn’t a political decision for me, it was a moral one,” Ms. Mainor said in a follow-up tweet.

She was prompted to depart the Democrats over her concern for education and public safety in her state, particularly in Atlanta.

“What do you see on those issues that your Democratic colleagues do not?” Fox News anchor Pete Hegseth asked in an interview Wednesday.

“What I see is that only 3% of the kids can read, first and foremost. I also see crime rising at skyrocketing rates. We do not have time to defund the police and we no longer have time to say that it’s OK for children to not be able to read,” Ms. Mainor replied.  

Poll du jour

• 65% of U.S. adults say they play video games at least one hour a week.

• 86% of this group say that video games “bring people joy.”

• 84% say they “provide mental stimulation.”

• 83% say they “provide stress relief.”

• 81% say they “help improve cognitive skills.”

• 71% say they “create a feeling of community.”

• 70% say they “can be used for medical treatment.”

• 53% of this group identify as male, 46% as female.

Source: An Entertainment Software Association survey of 4,000 video game players conducted April 1-30 and released Monday.

Contact Jennifer Harper at jharper@washingtontimes.com.