Super keyed-in, total insider scoop factory Axios on Thursday published a really illuminating if you’re a douchebag piece examining how Senator Joe Manchin’s retirement is a terrible sign for Democrats’ hopes of hanging on to the majority in the chamber in 2025. “A Democratic fairy tale is coming to an end in West Virginia, where Joe Manchin’s decision not to seek re-election threatens to blow up the party’s chances of holding the Senate – and potentially the White House – in 2024,” they write.

They’re fucking serious, lol. Here in the real world we knew that Manchin was all but certainly doomed in 2024 with popular Republican incumbent Governor Jim Justice polling significantly ahead of him in the matchup. Only if dickhead MAGA Congressman Alex Mooney had edged out Justice in the GOP primary would Manchin have had a realistic shot, an extremely tall order as disgraced former President Trump showered his golden endorsement upon Justice last month. Long before then Sabato’s Crystal Ball had rated West Virginia as “lean Republican” while Ohio and Montana were toss-ups. Anyone wanting to see Dems hold the Senate had already long made peace with the idea that Manchin would be spending more time with his yacht in 2025 one way or the other.

And still Axios writes “Without Manchin – widely viewed as the only Democrat who could run competitively in deep-red West Virginia – Republicans likely will need to flip just one or two Senate seats to take control of Congress’ upper chamber, depending on the outcome of the presidential race,” like they’re rubbing it in. It was one of their top articles this morning. At least they have something else to cover after their Youngkin 2024 circlejerk imploded spectacularly on Tuesday, something they barely addressed afterward. We would be embarrassed too if we were Axios.