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Coal Shoulder
November 7, 2012 | 17 comments
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Hope Turned Into Damnation
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Campaign Crawlers
In Virginia, Turnout Matters
Paul Ryan speaks at Universal Fibers — which government didn’t build.
BRISTOL, Va. — Less than 5 miles from where Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney spoke Oct. 5, running mate Paul Ryan greeted a crowd in a second Washington County, Va., campaign stop Thursday.
Speaking outside Universal Fibers at the Bristol-Washington County Industrial Park, he brought a pro-business message.
“We want to release American businesses to compete,” Ryan told a crowd outside the manufacturing facility, which sells its products globally. “If we can get ourselves on a level playing field, no one can hold a candle to us.”
This county of just under 55,000 people is in Southwest Virginia, a sparsely populated region of this swing state that’s received a lot of attention in both the 2008 and 2012 presidential races.
In 2008, the largely conservative region went heavily Republican, but Democratic turnout was strong after three Obama-Biden campaign stops in three different Southwest Virginia towns. The state as a whole went Democratic for the first time in more than 40 years.
As Ryan spoke Thursday about the need for more business-friendly leadership in Washington, local Republican leaders said this year’s election in Virginia — and the nation — could hinge on the turnout in this region.
“I think turnout in the 9th [Congressional] District is key. I think it’s crucial,” said Bob Gibson, a local elected official and Republican chairman in Russell County, one of Virginia’s seven coal-producing counties. “I think it’s a unique opportunity for Southwest Virginia to not only decide Virginia; we could decide the whole national election.”
In Southwest Virginia, where voters often support Democratic candidates in local races and Republicans in larger elections, Republican turnout was low in 2008, Gibson said. But he said there’s good reason to believe it will be higher this year: “The war on coal.”
Many in Southwest Virginia blame federal regulation under the Obama administration for the recent slowdown in coal production and jobs. Even the United Mine Workers of America, traditionally a potential political force for Democrats, has chosen to remain silent on endorsements this year, though the union endorsed Obama in 2008.
Oris Christian, treasurer of the Russell County Republican Party, said a lot of union members — and other coal country Democrats — are planning to vote for Romney and Ryan.
“They’ve laid off, in Southwest Virginia and southern West Virginia, nearly 2,000 coal miners, just in the last two months,” Gibson said. “I think Romney will overwhelmingly carry Southwest Virginia… I just hope it’s enough to offset the vote in Eastern Virginia and Northern Virginia.”
When it comes to political leanings, Virginia tends to be split, with the largely rural western and southern parts of the state leaning Republican and the more urbanized northern and eastern regions leaning Democratic. This regional division is part of what makes Virginia a toss-up.
Terry Frye, a Democrat, will cast one of Obama’s electoral votes if the president wins the state. Frye said Obama won Virginia in 2008 primarily because of the votes he received in Northern Virginia — but the southwest region was also important.
“Population-wise we’re not huge in terms of numbers…but clearly the coal miners in this area and some of the farmers…contributed to the president’s victory in Virginia,” Frye said. “He got a much higher turnout of Democratic voters in Southwest Virginia than presidential candidates normally receive, so I think it was significant.”
Frye said Southwest Virginia voters were swayed in 2008 by Obama’s compelling message and charisma, and because he was engaging during his two campaign stops.
Letter to the Editor View all comments (35) | Leave a comment
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http://spectator.org/archives/2012/10/26/in-virginia-turnout-matters
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spike59| 10.26.12 @ 6:24AM
mark VA in Romney's column...the most common description i've heard of ObaMao lately here in Central VA is 'that useless bastard'...I work near the Richmond airport, and when the President first flew in, people were standing at the windows, hoping to get a glimpse of his motorcade; over the years, the reaction has turned to 'Oh, Gawd, that A-hole is going to have traffic tied up for hours-can't he find another place to go bore people?'
TLP| 10.26.12 @ 7:06AM
Ahoy, Matey. There be a Contest at Wednesday's Column, entitled - The Point of Criticism.
There be Prizes,
There be Prizes, indeed.
SUBVET| 10.26.12 @ 9:08AM
Ya........the POS tied up the fwy wed. night for the letterman show. Flew in and flew out.......do you think that was on our dime ????
Rhoetus| 10.27.12 @ 11:42PM
spike: ObaMao - I'm going to quote you often. ;)
Appleby| 10.26.12 @ 6:39AM
Good to hear from "boots on the ground" instead o0f the Dear Leader propaganda from the media. I hope you are right.
TLP| 10.26.12 @ 7:14AM
I don't wanna say "I told ya so" but I think that a LOT of 'Experts' are gonna be surprised after all of the UNEMPLOYED Private Sector Union Rank and File, Cast their Votes in 11 Days.
I'm just sayin.
Contest - Wednesday Column - The Point of Criticism. You may have to hit the "Previous Button".
Who Knows?| 10.26.12 @ 9:23AM
Thanks for the political education on Virginia,
I live in southern Oregon. In this state, it isn’t coal that is salient. It used to be timber, but then the spotted owl dragged it into EPA-like submission.
While we correctly pay attention to the electoral college, and certain states become obvious battlegrounders, and others are written off, as your article demonstrates, the truly useful split is urban verses rural, and let’s not forget suburban.
Everybody ignores Oregon, since the urban Portland, Eugene and Salem areas are solidly liberal, so the state is oh so blue. Then there are states like Virginia, which are more balanced. What a bummer for serious political junkies, to live where their vote practically doesn’t count!
An old leftie woman, here in conservative Medford, bemoaned her fate, and direly wished she lived in the hippy enclave of the tony and wealthy Ashland, just south. Oh well, live by politics, die by politics. Proves it’s NOT everything.
People left Europe to find religious freedom in America. “Go west, young man” was the slogan for later go-getters, stifled by lack of opportunity in the settled east. Since reaching the Pacific Ocean, the pioneer spirit endures, in a way, as people desiring the wide-open spaces continue to “move on out”, whether to suburbs or smaller towns.
Escapees of more tightly packed urban cities tend to be more conservative. With more elbowroom, one has the ability to be more self-reliant and hassle free.
Butch| 10.28.12 @ 3:33PM
WK: I heard that a pair of spotted owls successfully on a Portland K-Mart sign. Makes sense; all the bald Eagles on the Snake River were nesting on power poles. The K-Mart sign was probably lighted and warm.
Butch| 10.28.12 @ 4:19PM
nested successfully
cicero| 10.26.12 @ 9:42AM
In his first campaign, Obama told everyone exactly what he was going to do. The problem was that nobody believed anyone would want to that to this wonderful cocuntry. Now that he has actually raised the cost of gasoline, begun to shut down the coal mines, and make sure that anyone who wanted to build or maintain a coal fired power plant would go bankrupt, regulate whole businesses out of business, and throw the peoples' wealth away on "green energy" boondoggles that only enriched his backers (and himself, if truth be known), maybe reality is starting to hit.
The farmers pay more for fuel, and the purchasing power of theirs and everyone else's dollar is eroded. The manufacturer is regulated out of profit. The tax rate for everyone will have to go up, because the "rich" don't have enough money to make a dent in the spending increases. 2000 years ago, the most powerful country in the world (Rome) at least had the good sense to choose leaders who plundered the barbarians, and others who were available. Now, the most powerful country in the world chooses leaders that plunders itself. What insanity. Fool me once . . .
TLP| 10.26.12 @ 9:59AM
The Contest is at Wednesday's Column - The Point Of Criticism.
It's the last entry for that day, so you might need to hit the "Previous" thingy.
Rhoetus| 10.28.12 @ 10:13PM
You won't hear or read your words on CBS, ABC, NBC, MSNBC, CNN, TNT as they are propaganda organs of the ObaMao machine.
Von Mises Jr| 10.26.12 @ 10:33AM
Many states are in play for the similar reasons as Virginia and West Virginia's threatened coal industry.
The Gulf States and Maine are being devastated by NOAA's attack on small fishermen driving them out of business.
PA, OH and WV (as well as NYS) sit on top of the Marcellus oil and gas reserves. They are sucking wind while the Bakken in MT and the Dakotas are living large. TX, LA, OK, NB also is being held down by being denied drilling permits on public lands. By contrast, AK distributes profits back to their people from the drilling they enjoy.
Las Vegas, Ski resorts in Colorado, beach communities from New Jersey to Florida to Houston have seen tourism shit the bed.
The northern central parts of the country were built on manufacturing. The EPA, other regulations and high taxes have turned this part of the country into a basket case.
This is why CO, WI, OH, PA and even MI that are very blue states are now leaning Romney Ryan. This will be a landslide. There are far too many states for the SEIU, Acorn and unions to protect from the onslaught that is coming November 6th. Look what happened in 2010. All they could manage to do is save Dingy Harry and Patty "Moron" Murray from the disaster for the socialist Democrat Party.
TLP| 10.26.12 @ 4:03PM
The Contest is at Wednesday's Column - The Point Of Criticism.
It's the last entry for that day, so you might need to hit the "Previous" thingy.
Crassus| 10.26.12 @ 1:36PM
As a resident of a coal producing county in Southwest Virginia I've spent the past two days driving around the backroads looking for Obama signs. I've seen exactly ONE. I've seen numerous signs for Democratic Senatorial candidate Tim Kaine as well as the Democratic candidate for Congress but only ONE for the Bummer. It makes me feel good. Now if we could only transfer Southwest Virginia to Ohio.
TLP| 10.26.12 @ 4:03PM
The Contest is at Wednesday's Column - The Point Of Criticism.
It's the last entry for that day, so you might need to hit the "Previous" thingy.
bdavis34| 10.26.12 @ 2:23PM
Virginia is already in the bag. The avalanche is getting bigger every day. Don't be surprised if Romney wins Pennsylvania too. That is an early voting state, so if Romney wins that, he can celebrate early.
chuck| 10.26.12 @ 3:47PM
PA is the key. It goes to Romney, it's AMF for the empty chair.
This is going to be 1980 all over. Romney wins 40-45 states, GOP takes over the Senate and gains in the House.
Then the real fun begins, as the Dems go into full meltdown. If I could stomach it, I'd turn on MSDNC to watch Matthews crap all over himself.
TLP| 10.26.12 @ 4:05PM
The Contest is at Wednesday's Column - The Point Of Criticism.
It's the last entry for that day, so you might need to hit the "Previous" thingy.
And bring your Brother chuck, and your other Brother chuck.
spike59| 10.26.12 @ 4:59PM
chuck, you've GOTTA watch...i'm guessing that Chrissie will have wee-wee running down his leg, Retching Madcow will stroke out, leaving his face in a permanent smirk, O'Donnell will challenge every Romney voter to a fistfight, Sharpton will call for a 'Million Moron March on the Electoral College', and Ed Schultz will recreate this scene from 'Scanners':
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HY-03vYYAjA
you just can't get more entertainment value for your cable subscription
Alan| 10.26.12 @ 5:09PM
You forgot the Stygian Witches on the "View", they make just make the leap into their "bubble, bubble toil and trouble" brew kettle.
Rhoetus| 10.28.12 @ 12:13PM
Michelle will get drunk with Barbara Wawa and her gang of Maoists.
spike59| 10.29.12 @ 5:54AM
my favorite spittle-slinger on that show is Whoopi; that dude is HIGH-LARIOUS!
RCV| 10.28.12 @ 12:24AM
Right...that's why the latest polls have Obama up 4 in Virginia. Pennsylvania is a lock for the Dems. My prediction, which I'm more sure of each day: narrow win for Romney in popular vote nationally, but Obama wins electoral college with 290+.
Occam's Tool| 10.28.12 @ 12:48AM
Rassmussen has Romney ahead by 3 in Virginia.
Occam's Tool| 10.28.12 @ 12:49AM
My Dear RCV:
You don't live in America---you live in California. Americans think differently than Californians.
Rhoetus| 10.28.12 @ 12:15PM
That's why I liberated myself and left the PRC (People's Republic of California) for Arizona.
RCV| 10.28.12 @ 4:56PM
My dear Occam: people who live in areas where the Michelle Bachmanns of the world get elected don't think like other Americans either. I'll remind you that the majority of Americans elected Barack Obama by a comfortable majority. You weren't one of them, Occam. It's you who have a distorted view of what the average person thinks.
C Smith | 10.27.12 @ 1:59PM
Have been concerned regarding the potential complicity of the current administration in tragic events in Benghazi. Yet, realized that there are many questions for which I had no answer. The following link addresses many questions, While not vetting the validity of the conclusions and being diametrically opposed to the humanist source, still realize that "truth is truth regless of the source" (if it is indeed truth):
http://www.theatheistconservat.....r-stevens/
"What is the... truth that the Obama administration is trying to conceal about the tragic events in Benghazi, when the US ambassador to Libya and three of his staff were murdered in an Islamic terrorist attack"?
MikeC| 10.28.12 @ 12:05AM
Just wait until after the election, then if Obama loses he will sick the Justice Department on every state he lost to challange the election results until the "right" candidate WINS!
Eric Holder will keep the election from completing for several years as the courts drag their feet before rendering a decision. In the mean time, Obama continues his regime until the election is decided.
Too far fetched? Look at the last four years.
ElGordo| 10.28.12 @ 8:58AM
GALLUP : Obama's Job Approval Drops 7 points in 3 Days........Is this because of the death of 4 Americans at Benghazi ?
Rhoetus| 10.28.12 @ 12:16PM
Romney gets more than 400 Electoral Votes, maybe 500.
RCV| 10.28.12 @ 4:58PM
You are so divorced from reality. Next week is going to come as a big wake up call for you.
Rhoetus| 10.28.12 @ 10:20PM
RCV: Want to bet?
ArturoMabb| 10.29.12 @ 3:40AM
In Southwest Virginia, where voters often http://tinyurl.com/9ps47oc support Democratic candidates in local races and Republicans in larger elections, Republican turnout was low in 2008, Gibson said. But he said there's good reason to believe it will be higher this year: "The war on coal."