Senator Joe Manchin

It's really the primary process.

The primary process is this.

I cannot, being a no-party affiliate right now and independent, that's my registration.

If I want to vote for a friend of mine who's a Republican in West Virginia, the Republican Party in West Virginia will not let me vote in their primary unless I register Republican.

The Democrats do the same.

All over the country, they do that.

They close them down.

Because if they can control the flow and you have maybe during, let's say, the 2024 election, let's say 24 million people, maybe 11 or 12 on each side, D and R, participate in the national primary.

But 160 million of us voted in the general election.

But 24 million people made a decision on our choices.

That's it.

And so I've said, our democracy is still an experiment.

We thought we could govern ourself.

And by governing yourself, that means we can pick representatives that represent us.

I can't even vote.

So how am I... I can't participate.

45 to 50% of us can't participate in the primary process.

We're the largest denomination of registered voters who can't participate.

You're referring, of course, to independents.

Independents.