Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

West Virginia Democrat Takes Out His Gun Again In a New Ad, But This Time He's Fighting For Healthcare

West Virginia Democrat Takes Out His Gun Again In a New Ad, But This Time He's Fighting For Healthcare
Senator Joe Manchin appears in a new campaign ad. (Joe Manchin/YouTube)

A targeted message.

Democratic Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia returned to a familiar theme in a new campaign ad. In it, Manchin totes a shotgun out to a field and takes aim at something he says will hurt the people of West Virginia.

The target? A lawsuit filed by the Justice Department and a cadre of Republican Attorneys General from 20 states. Among them are Manchin's opponent, West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey.


The lawsuit seeks to overturn protections in the Affordable Care Act—or Obamacare—for pre-existing conditions. The AGs argue the ACA is unconstitutional after Congress eliminated the individual mandate with the GOP tax bill passed in 2017.

Watch Manchin's ad here:

The incumbent Democrat also posted the new ad to his Twitter account, with the message:

"Patrick Morrisey's lawsuit would take away health care from people with pre-existing conditions. That's just dead wrong, and that ain't gonna happen."
"Pat's lawsuit would take away health care coverage for 800,000 West Virginians with common pre-existing conditions like diabetes, arthritis, and high blood pressure. That's not our West Virginia values."

In 2010—during Manchin's first campaign for Senate—he released a similar ad with a different target. That time the recipient of his shotgun blast was an anti-coal cap-and-trade bill supported by Democrats and then President Barack Obama.

Manchin was Governor when West Virginia Democratic Senator Robert Byrd died. Manchin appointed a successor then ran in a special election and won the seat in 2010. He ran again in 2012, without employing his shotgun.

Manchin's new ad serves a dual purpose, just as it did in 2010. In that earlier election, Manchin wished to show the people of West Virginia he would buck his own party in their interests. Now, in 2018, Manchin addresses the shortcomings of his opponent through blasting the lawsuit he joined.

But the other, more subtle purpose is to illustrate Manchin's commitment to sensible gun ownership and use by his constituents. In other words, Manchin is a supporter of the right to bear arms responsibly. That point is driven home by numerous posts on his Twitter feed.

Back in March, in the wake of hearings after the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, Manchin said:

"It's not gun control, it's gun sense."

The Senator referred to a bill he co-sponsored a bill in 2013 with Republican Senator Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, following the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. The legislation would have established a database of those prohibited from owning guns while expanding nationwide background checks.

Manchin hoped to revive the legislation in 2018, but was blocked by the GOP. In June, Manchin told ABC:

"I'm more concerned right now about pre-existing conditions. I'm more concerned about 800,000 West Virginians losing their ability to have insurance or buy insurance because they've been sick. Something's wrong here, we've gotta change that."

Reactions to Manchin's ad on social media however rarely addressed the ad itself as the following messages to Manchin show.

Most of those responding brought up one topic and it was not Obamacare or the 2nd Amendment. Their concern lay with Brett Kavanaugh's appointment to the Supreme Court.

Midterm elections are slated for Tuesday, November 6, 2018.

More from News

Jesse Watters
Fox News

Jesse Watters Dragged After Adding Another Mind-Boggling Rule For 'Real Men'

Fox News host Jesse Watters, who is apparently an authority of what it means to be a manly man, gave jazz hands to make a point about how "real men" should or shouldn't wave.

The target of his ridicule was Tim Walz, the enthusiastic Democratic Minnesota governor and vice presidential candidate who often greets the public by raising both hands in the air to wave.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots of crowd at town hall and Rep. Mike Flood
@MorePerfectUS/X; KETV NewsWatch 7

GOP Rep. Goes Viral For His Response To Crowd Chanting 'Tax The Rich' At Town Hall

Nebraska Republican Representative Mike Flood was criticized following his incredulous response to a crowd that chanted "Tax the rich!" during a town hall meeting.

The Columbus High School auditorium hosted the town hall on Tuesday evening, drawing "nearly 380" attendees, according to local network KETV Omaha. The event was lively, with Flood facing both sharp criticism over Trump administration policies and some appreciation for showing up in person.

Keep ReadingShow less
Elon Musk
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Awkward Typo In Elon Musk's Bizarre 'Education Department' Trump Meme Is A Total Self-Own

Billionaire Elon Musk was widely mocked after he celebrated President Donald Trump's executive order to begin to dismantle the Department of Education (DOE) by posting a meme of Trump at the department's grave, only for an awkward misspelling to get all the attention.

Polling indicates that eliminating the Education Department is largely unpopular, with 60% of registered voters opposing the move, according to a Quinnipiac University survey conducted March 6-10. Support stands at 33%, with opposition particularly strong among Democrats—98% oppose it, while just 1% support it.

Keep ReadingShow less
JB Pritzker; Donald Trump
Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu via Getty Images; Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Dem Governor Reveals Trump's Bonkers Demand In Exchange For Equipment During COVID

Illinois Democratic Governor J.B. Pritzker revealed during a speech this week that he clashed with President Donald Trump during the first Trump administration after Trump promised necessary medical equipment during the COVID pandemic on the condition that Pritzker praise him publicly.

Five years ago, the United States was grappling with the initial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The country had entered shutdowns that had severe economic consequences, leaving businesses and industries on the brink of collapse.

Keep ReadingShow less
Scrabble tiles spelling the word scam
Scam spelled with scrabbles on a wooden table

People Break Down How They Realized An Entire Industry Was A Total Scam

We unfortunately live in a world where scams are on the rise.

Thankfully, some of them are pretty easy to detect, such as an automated call from the IRS telling you a warrant is out for your arrest, or an email claiming to be from Amazon or the USPS asking for your credit card information, only to look closer and see the email address is a yahoo account.

Keep ReadingShow less