# Small Plane, Big (Independent) Political Idea: Michael’s West Virginia Weekend

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-smerconish-podcast-4474155/small-plane-big-independent-political-idea-michael-s-west-virginia-weekend
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-smerconish-podcast-4474155/small-plane-big-independent-political-idea-michael-s-west-virginia-weekend.md
Podcast: [The Smerconish Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-smerconish-podcast-4474155)
Published: 2026-07-27T17:46:56+00:00
Episode link: https://www.siriusxm.com
Audio file: https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/sxm.simplecastaudio.com/d49edecb-af71-4e40-b63b-f7bdc3faae1b/episodes/a2d9023c-c8fd-4693-94ec-3accede74079/audio/128/default.mp3?aid=rss_feed&awCollectionId=d49edecb-af71-4e40-b63b-f7bdc3faae1b&awEpisodeId=a2d9023c-c8fd-4693-94ec-3accede74079&feed=Dv1m2CJC
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Duration seconds: 1945

## Resource

Michael recounts his eventful West Virginia weekend—from a thrilling flight aboard a small Cirrus aircraft to a visit to the historic Greenbrier—before revealing the real reason for his trip. He went to join Joe and Heather Manchin as they launch their new Independent Leadership Council, an effort to help elect genuinely independent candidates who could hold the balance of power in Congress. Also, hear listeners debate whether the strategy can actually work. Original air date 27 July 2026. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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## Transcript

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