Sen. Joe Manchin (I-WV), who used to be the most conservative Democrat senator in the U.S. Senate until he left the party (s0rt of, he still caucuses with them), has said he won't endorse Democrat presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris in November because she said she intends to gut the filibuster in order to codify abortion rights into national law.

"I think we should eliminate the filibuster for Roe," Harris, who used to be in the Senate, said on Wisconsin Public Radio on Tuesday.

This statement led to Manchin's own, in which he said he doesn't think the filibuster should be nuked just to pass laws on one issue like abortion.

"I'm not endorsing her," Manchin told Fox News. "I've been very, very, very clear on how strongly I believe that when you go down that slippery path, you don't just do it for one issue."

How it would work

Manchin just about singlehandedly prevented the filibuster from being nuked early in President Joe Biden's tenure and again after the landmark Roe V. Wade abortion ruling was overturned and state abortion laws once again took precedence.

Democrats would have to have a majority in the Senate after the 2024 elections in order to be able to vote out the filibuster, even if Harris is elected.

They face an uphill battle in maintaining their slim majority now, and conditions are not terribly favorable for them to retain that majority because of the number of Democrats up for election this year compared to Republicans.

While Manchin is now an independent, he caucuses with Democrats and is counted toward their number.

"Stabilizes our democracy"

"This threshold stabilizes our democracy, promotes bipartisan cooperation and protects our nation from partisan whiplash and dysfunction," he said in a statement. "I have always said: ‘if you can’t change your mind, you can’t change anything’ and I am hopeful that the Vice President remains open to doing just that."

Manchin said he would not endorse any candidate in the race.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is staying out of the issue for now, but said he's ready to bring it up after the election.

"It’s something our caucus will discuss in the next session of Congress," he told reporters.

Manchin knows what the founding fathers knew, that consensus isn't built by having a bare majority, but by being able to reach critical mass (typically 60% or two-thirds).

If Harris manages to scuttle the filibuster, it will lead to yet more decline in the country.