Former senator Joe Manchin makes the case for the middle in the memoir 'Dead Center'

Summary

NPR's Book of the Day — Summary

Episode Title

Former senator Joe Manchin makes the case for the middle in the memoir 'Dead Center'
Date: September 30, 2025
Host: Chloe Veltman
Guest: Joe Manchin (interviewed by Michelle Martin)

---

Overview

This episode features former West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin discussing his memoir, Dead Center: In Defense of Common Sense. Manchin, known for straddling party lines and voting based on individual issues rather than strict party allegiance, reflects on his contentious years in the Senate, the complexities of centrism, his experiences during political turmoil (including the Build Back Better negotiations and the Brett Kavanaugh confirmation), and his belief in an independent approach to American politics.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Manchin’s Political Identity and Centrism

[00:02]–[01:54]

• Manchin is described as an unpredictable political figure, having voted against his party on key issues such as climate policy and Supreme Court nominations.
• He positions himself as a centrist and now a proud independent, seeing value in working with both Republicans and Democrats.
• Main goal is to highlight the importance of common sense and centrism over party loyalty.

Quote:

"This is a duopoly of Democrat and Republican Party. That's why I'm fiercely proud, independent right now—that I can work with both sides."
— Joe Manchin ([03:38])

---

2. Build Back Better (BBB) Bill & Facing Backlash

[01:54]–[03:38]

• Recounts being personally pressured by President Biden for his vote on the BBB bill.
• Describes fallout: White House publicly naming him as a holdout, increasing hostility, and even concern for his family's safety.
• First time in his political life he felt real threats to his personal safety, leading him to hire private security.

Quote:

"That was the first time that I've ever felt that there could be violence... I never looked at it as a threat."
— Joe Manchin ([03:20])

---

3. Reflections on the Current State of Both Parties

[03:38]–[04:26]

• Attributes growing political hostility to both parties, seeing them as operating for self-preservation (“a business model”).
• Feels the Democratic Party has moved away from the values that resonate with him and with West Virginia.
• Criticizes the Republican Party for centering around Trump.

Quote:

"I have watched the Democratic Party leave me and my state and I have watched the Republican Party lose itself to one man."
— Joe Manchin ([03:55])

---

4. West Virginia’s Unique Character and Personal Background

[05:10]–[05:56]

• Acknowledges that his state’s less diverse, small-town culture shapes his politics.
• As an immigrant’s son and a Catholic in a predominantly white, Protestant state, he believes in the power of hard work to gain acceptance.

---

5. Kavanaugh Confirmation: ‘I Got It Wrong’ Chapter

[05:56]–[07:54]

• Manchin voted for Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court confirmation, which triggered backlash—his granddaughter was especially upset, and campaign volunteers quit.
• Stands by his initial vote, believing there was insufficient evidence against Kavanaugh.
• Admits fault in failing to appreciate the deeply emotional impact his decision had on others.

Quote:

"What I got wrong is not—not understanding how personal this was to so many people... I voted my conscience and I voted the facts I had in front of me."
— Joe Manchin ([07:42])

---

6. Purpose of the Memoir & Political Reflection

[07:54]–[08:39]

• Manchin denies the book is about settling scores; rather, it seeks to explain the nuances of difficult political decisions.
• Reflects on his journey from humble origins to power centers, emphasizing challenges of remaining independent in a polarized system.
• Values Joe Biden personally, but disagrees with the leftward direction of Biden’s administration.

Quote:

"It's not a tell-all book. It basically explains how you get to these difficult situations... We just disagreed and he. I just, I just never knew him to be that far left as his administration had moved."
— Joe Manchin ([08:08] and [08:39])

---

Notable Quotes

• “This is a duopoly of Democrat and Republican Party. That's why I'm fiercely proud, independent right now that I can work with both sides.” — Manchin ([03:38])
• "That was the first time that I've ever felt that there could be violence..." — Manchin ([03:20])
• "What I got wrong is not—not understanding how personal this was to so many people... I voted my conscience and I voted the facts I had in front of me." — Manchin ([07:42])
• "It's not a tell-all book. It basically explains how you get to these difficult situations." — Manchin ([08:08])

---

Important Timestamps

• [00:02–01:54]: Introduction; Manchin’s reputation and memoir theme.
• [01:54–03:38]: Build Back Better negotiations and personal consequences.
• [03:38–04:26]: Critique of party politics and rationale for independence.
• [05:10–05:56]: West Virginia’s unique context and its impact on Manchin’s politics.
• [05:56–07:54]: Kavanaugh confirmation, regrets, and lessons learned.
• [07:54–08:39]: The memoir’s intent and Manchin’s relationship with Joe Biden.

---

Tone and Style

The conversation is reflective, candid, sometimes combative, but leavened by Manchin’s earnest desire to explain his often-controversial positions. Manchin emphasizes conscience, pragmatism, and independence, while Michelle Martin asks direct, sometimes pointed questions to draw out deeper insights and moments of vulnerability.

---

Summary for Listeners

This episode offers an unvarnished look at Joe Manchin’s political philosophy, revealing the personal stakes and moral calculations behind high-profile votes. His memoir, Dead Center, provides not only an account of his career but also a defense of centrism and independent thought in an era of increasing polarization. If you’re curious about how one of America’s most controversial centrists perceives the current political landscape—and his place within it—this episode delivers a window into the mind of a political insider committed to the "middle."

Transcript

[Chloe Veltman]

Hello, you're listening to Book OF the Day. I'm Chloe Veltman. Joe Manchin has long been a hard to pin down kind of guy. The former West Virginia Democratic senator turned independent was over the years a thorn in his party side. He voted against Democratic Party lines on issues like climate change, and he backed Trump nominee Brett Kavanaugh for a seat on the Supreme Court. In his new memoir titled Dead Centre, manchin explains why centrism is so important to him. He spills about his years in the Senate and his quest to defend West Virginia priorities like coal mining. Manchin spoke with NPR's Michelle Martin about his life and politics and told her what the country really needs right now is an independent party in charge. That's ahead.

[NPR Sponsor Announcer]

This message comes from NPR sponsor fx, presenting the Lowdown, starring Ethan Hawke, introducing you to Lee Raybon, a quirky journalist slash rare bookstore owner slash unofficial truth seeker who is always on the tail of his latest conspiracy. This time, his most recent expose puts him head to head with a powerful family that rules Tulsa, meaning only one he must be on to something big. FX is the Lowdown. All new Tuesdays on FX stream on Hulu. This message comes from Ritual. What makes Ritual vitamins different? Ritual vitamins are made with bio available clinically studied key ingredients and a patented nutrient delivery system that aims to help your body use the nutrients you're getting. Ritual's essential multivitamins are made with you and your body in mind and backed by scientific research, filled with key ingredients as well as the essence of mint so you can enjoy taking your vitamins. Get 25% off your first purchase when you visit ritual.com NPR how to describe Joe Manchin?

[Michelle Martin]

To many Republicans, the now retired West Virginia senator was an occasional ally. To many die hard Democrats, he might have been a troublesome rogue who couldn't be counted on. But before Manchin served in state office and 15 years in the U.S. senate, first as a Democrat and then as an independent, he was just the Joe in his own view, just a man trying to bring common sense to sometimes nonsensical politics. He tells us all this in a new memoir that he opens with a walk to the White House in December 2021. Manchin says then President Biden had called him over because Biden really needed Manchin's vote in order to pass the Build Back Better bill. Manchin said he told the White House he found it too expensive and thought it reinforced what he saw as an entitlement mentality. He says he wasn't the only lawmake who thought so, as Manchin tells it, words were exchanged and that was followed by a statement from the White House, name checking Joe Manchin as the holdout.

[Joe Manchin]

That's when I went off.

[Michelle Martin]

Was this always a concern of yours? You've been in public life for some time. I mean, you were in state office before that, as we said. Has it gotten bad?

[Joe Manchin]

It got really bad. And I'll tell you when it really got to a level that I knew that my family was targeted. So I had to hire some security there, private security, to protect my family for a period of time. Thank God we were able to do it.

[Michelle Martin]

Yeah. When did that start?

[Joe Manchin]

When I really, me personally was with the build back. Better bbb.

[Michelle Martin]

Really?

[Joe Manchin]

Yeah.

[Michelle Martin]

So you really felt that was the first time when you'd been in public life that you'd been threatened?

[Joe Manchin]

That was the first time that I've ever felt that there could be violent. I've always thought there was going to be people that raised their voices and maybe try to attack you or fight you or something of that sort. But I never really worried about that. I thought I could always take care of myself. So I never looked at it as a threat.

[Michelle Martin]

What do you think is the origin of all this?

[Joe Manchin]

Well, I think the visceral hatred that we have out there, you know, basically both parties are guilty of a. And I say it's a business model. This is a duopoly of Democrat and Republican Party. That's why I'm fiercely proud, independent right now that I can work with both sides.

[Michelle Martin]

You wrote in the book, I have watched the Democratic Party leave me and my state and I have watched the Republican Party lose itself to, to one man. Can you just say more about that party?

[Joe Manchin]

Didn't make me. I'm the person I am. And I had a lot of. My dad had great friends who had an R by their name, and I just saw nothing but Kumbaya. They were all good buddies, had different ideas. So I never looked at it that way.

[Michelle Martin]

When you say I've watched the Republican Party lose itself to one man, what do you mean by that?

[Joe Manchin]

Well, you know, one person can't always be right on everything. First of all, let me just tell you, I know President Trump. The first two years I was, I worked with him as probably close to any Democrat because he knew that I was. I think one time he and I kidded around. I says, well, I'm a Democrat like you used to be a Democrat, a conservative Democrat. We ought to all work together. So when they come to me with different Things and social services and this and that. And that really comes right back to the bbb. There was so much giveaway. There was no one held accountable and responsible. If you want to get a person out of generational poverty, help them work themselves up, change the financial cliff, the welfare cliff to a slope. Let them work with some services until they get to a mean wage.

[Michelle Martin]

Is it possible, though, that part of it is that your view of politics is shaped by the fact that West Virginia is a very distinct place. Everybody knows everybody. Like there's six degrees of separation. That just isn't the reality that a lot of people have. And a lot of your colleagues are working in very different environments. Is it possible that they're just things about their context that you don't understand? Understand?

[Joe Manchin]

Well, I'm sure that. But a lot of people are able to work in their comfort zones. Think about my state, the least diverse state in the nation, the white estate in the nation, okay? And here I am, coming from immigrant family, being a Catholic in a state that basically, that's not the norm. So I know this. If you work hard and you try to give back more than what you're willing to take out, they're going to accept you. They love you. You'll be fine.

[Michelle Martin]

You know, you have a whole chapter called I Got it Wrong. That was interesting. The one that really stood out to me is around the Kavanaugh, Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation to the Supreme Court. She said the decision to vote for Brett Kavanaugh did not just create problems for me professionally. My granddaughter Kelsey was living with us at the time and working on my campaign. You said that when you got home that day, she was rolled into a ball and cried for hours. And you said that many volunteers working on your campaign quit over that. Do you think you were wrong on that vote?

[Joe Manchin]

No, not at all.

[Michelle Martin]

So it's not. This isn't something you got wrong?

[Joe Manchin]

Well, I had more. I had more.

[Michelle Martin]

Yeah.

[Joe Manchin]

No, no, I. What I got wrong is not. Not understanding how personal this was to so many people. I should have done a better job of explaining. And I tried to. I would have hoped that basically the FBI report could have been made public, and it should have been made public. Cause I went by that, and I went by also talking to people who had personal relationships with Brett Kavanaugh. I just couldn't see destroying a person's life when I could not find the evidence as he was being charged with.

[Michelle Martin]

Well, he wasn't charged criminally. I mean, was destroying a person's life not Giving them a job that they want.

[Joe Manchin]

Oh, no. I think at that point in time, you know, you're pretty much. That would be pretty much destroying from the standpoint if he was not able to. Because they thought, well, that must be all factual. There was nothing factual that I could see.

[Michelle Martin]

Oh, he was still on the bench though. He still would have been on the bench. He just wouldn't have been on the Supreme Court.

[Joe Manchin]

He was on the circuit.

[Michelle Martin]

Yeah, yeah, he was on the circuit. Nobody was offering to impeach him. They were just saying that he wasn't fit for that job anyway. But your point is, the reason that that's in that chapter is that you felt what that people, you, political figures like yourself.

[Joe Manchin]

I was wrong in not understanding how emotional this was, how much this meant to so many different people, the way they were affected by it. And I voted my conscience and I voted the facts I had in front of me.

[Michelle Martin]

What are you hoping to do with this book at this point? I mean, you report in some detail on some really, you know, tough conversations you had with people. I was just wondering, are you settling scores here or is there something else that you are hoping to accomplish?

[Joe Manchin]

Not at all. No. I don't think if you read that book, it's not, it's not a tell all book. It basically explains how you get to these difficult situations. Coming from a little coal mining community in Farmington, West Virginia and being able to sit there in the White House and just coming after you all the time in different ways they can with the power of office. This is not just with Joe Biden, which I've known for quite a while and I think the world of him. We just disagreed and he. I just, I just never knew him to be that far left as his administration had moved.

[Michelle Martin]

And I told him that that's Joe Manchin. He's the former senator from West Virginia and he's the author of the new memoir Dead Center In Defense of Common Sense.

[NPR Sponsor Announcer]

This message comes from Schwab at Schwab. How you invest is your choice, not theirs. That's why when it comes to managing your wealth, Schwab gives you more choices. You can invest and trade on your own. Plus get advice and more comprehensive wealth solutions to help meet your unique needs. With award winning service, low costs and transparent advice, you can manage your wealth your way at Schwab. Visit schwab.com to learn more.

[Michelle Martin]

This message comes from Warby Parker Prescription eyewear that's expertly crafted and unexpectedly affordable. Glasses designed in house from premium materials starting at just $95, including prescription lenses. Stop by a Warby Parker store near you. This message comes from Mint Mobile. From the gas pump to the grocery store, inflation is everywhere, so Mint Mobile is offering premium wireless starting at just $15 a month. To get your new phone plan for just $15, go to mintmobile.com switch.