I would argue that given the awful state of affairs, Manchin knows there cannot be any litmus test. No nominee will ever state unequivocally the position on abortion in advance.
The candidate will declare that the ruling will come on the facts of the actual case and how the law applies.
To require a litmus test is a false position because it is known in advance there will never be one.
Having argued that, it is a very lame straddle that is unlikely to influence female “independents” or disgruntled miner wives and mothers to abandon the Trump forward movement in return to a bad old past. With coal mines operating and the severance tax again funding the State treasury, there is money for schools once again.
I would argue further that his days are past. The future in West Virginia does not favor a “I’m everything “ old school democrat
Uncle Joe's Senate seat appears to be relatively safe at this point in the election cycle. Despite WV being Trump country, Manchin's opponent Morrissey is considered an outsider(from New Jersey) and appears to be a weak campaigner. Manchin may be playing the odds that the Democrats take control of the Senate and might be rewarded with a committee chairmanship for being loyal to Schumer.