Sen. Manchin calls for competitive Democratic nomination process: 'I want the middle to have a voice'

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Sen. Joe Manchin, I-W. Va., called for a competitive Democratic nomination process on Monday, saying he wants centrist voters to feel like they have a voice.

"I want the middle to have a voice. I want the center of this country to be able to say, ‘We have a voice. We’re not extreme left or extreme right.' I don’t live my life that way, why do I have to only have two choices of a party that basically have taken the extremes?" he told CNN's Kasie Hunt.

President Biden made the decision to drop out of the presidential contest after facing several calls to do so. He quickly endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to replace him at the top of the ticket.

"The calls and everything that’s coming in, is not quite sure, unless they see a process where they really are, have things changed any at all, and the coordination doesn‘t always basically produce, I think, the strongest, if you will, the strongest team. Very well Kamala could be that person. And I think going through some sort of process would have been very enlightening to everybody," Manchin said.

WEST VIRGINIA SEN. JOE MANCHIN LEAVES DEMOCRATIC PARTY, REGISTERS AS INDEPENDENT

Manchin added that many Democrats being considered as potential running mates for Harris haven't been through a "process," arguing that the country didn't know where they stand.

"I’m an Independent now. Fifty-one percent of people