How the Hell does he plan to win a Republican Primary against say... Morrisey, Jenkins (if either of them don't beat Manchin this cycle), Mooney or McKinley? His constant party switching would be seen in a primary as a detriment, not an asset (just like Charlie Crist).
Well, he is the incumbent now. On top of that, he is very wealthy and as far as I know, at least semi-popular, right? I'd think he would have the nomination locked up in 2020 if he wants it.
It's different when a GOVERNOR switches parties. The Governor of a state is, at least unofficially, considered the leader of his party. The WV GOP had a stable of folks in leadership in a state where it was all going there way. Are they REALLY going to get behind a guy who left them to take a quicker route to the Governor's mansion.
The description of Justice as a "Blue Dog" is flat-out inaccurate. Blue Dogs are lifelong Democrats who take somewhat conservative positions on issues. Justice was a Republican interloper who put one over on the WV Dems. He did want to avoid a primary, and he apparently had a bastion of GOP support, else he wouldn't have gotten elected. But he wasn't a Democrat at heart, and he found the first excuse he could to switch back to the GOP. Justice is more like Ed Zorinsky, a Republican Mayor of Omaha who became a Democrat to run for Nebraska's open Senate seat in 1976 after the GOP indicated they would support another Republican (Rep. John McCollister) for the Senate seat. Unlike Justice, Zorinsky remained a conservative Democrat (albeit something of a DINO) until he died in office in 1987. Zorinsky had some degree of loyalty. Justice has none. I can't see who in their right mind would back this guy for anything in the future after he pulled this in the way he did,
