Stumbling block: how West Virginia politics explains Joe Manchin

Critics say senator is indicative of the Democratic party in a state where marginalized people have been shut out

The West Virginia senator Joe Manchin has emerged as one of the biggest stumbling blocks to the passing of Joe Biden's ambitious domestic agenda, declaring he will vote against a key voting rights bill and also blocking reform of the filibuster - a rule that at the moment allows Republicans to kill Democrat legislation.

Yet Manchin is no Republican. He is a key member of Biden's party, and in a 50-50 Senate his vote is the linchpin of political power and crucial for passing Biden's plans. Yet Manchin is seen by many Democrats as sabotaging his own president's efforts to be a transformational leader who can help the US recover from the pandemic in the same way Roosevelt helped America recover from the Great Depression.