It’s not that a conservative group is putting it out.
Yes. Congressman Nick Joe Rahall is an Arab. His roots are in Lebanon.
He’s a member of a jihadist sect known as the Presbyterian Church USA.
I don’t care if they critique his policies.
They are attacking because he’s an Arab.
And this kind of commercial sounds just like the little shit bag commercials everyone’s favorite coal country caudillo would put together.
I, of course, am talking about Captain America himself– Don “Run Coal, Dammit” Blankenship.
Personally, I’d rather be linked to Obama than that particular fellow, who I’m sure idolizes C. Montgomery Burns (and doesn’t get the jokes.)
***
I should mention that this commercial will probably.
If you’re from West Virginia and don’t hate Obama with a deep passion, there’s something wrong with you.
I’m not excited about Obama much these days.
But the alternative…
Nah.
No way.
Why should West Virginians loathe Obama? I’m asking as a native Midwesterner. It seems to me that WV has received the short end of the stick from national level government for the last few centuries regardless of party on power.
I’ve been reading your blog for a few months now and have come to appreciate your tone and viewpoint. If you could point me at a good WV history I’d give it a shot.
Part of the reason is race.
West Virginia is made up of the counties of Virginia that bordered on Pennsylvania and Ohio, which were free states.
The planters in the Tidewater of Virginia relied upon very strong racist attitudes in that predominantly white area to apprehend slaves that tried to seek freedom in the North.
Later, the coal companies used African American sharecroppers as strike-breakers. They used Italians and Eastern European immigrants, too. But the racism toward African Americans is very strong.
But the real issue right now is the fear that the coal industry is going to disappear because of climate change legislation.
That’s all the politicians talk about.
The coal industry does control WV politics and has since the Civil War.
All grovel before it.
It keeps us from diversifying our economy, which is even better for the industry.
If we have to make changes, it can really threaten people with fears that good paying jobs will be lost.
Coal miners are well-paid. It’s hazard pay in a non-union mine, but they are well-paid. It is one of the few good jobs a person can get without college education.
There are lots of good WV histories.
Very few talk about race.
But race and fears over climate change legislation make things toxic here.
http://mondediplo.com/2004/10/02usa
It’s a good article.
Thanks for the link. It never ceases to amaze me when people vote against their interests. The
intentional use of race as a divisive tactic is of course featured prominenty during Radical Recomstruction. It’s helped create a rift that I can’t imagine healing entirely within my lifetime.
The shamelessness of some folks in political power in fanning subconcsious fear is apalling. It’s effective. It’s entrenched.
All that aside, thanks for blog about dogs, wolves and occasional megafauna.
It keeps us from diversifying our economy, which is even better for the industry.
How does the coal industry keep WV from diversifying its economy?
Anyway, I heard the other day that 42, 000 factories have closed in the US in the past decade and John Derbyshire no longer believes in “free trade”.
While new parties are formed and succeed ( by getting elected to parliament and sometimes entering coalition governments) in Europe all the time while we’ve been stuck the same two parties since 1856:
Faith in the US political system is undeniably shaken. IT might be time to try something else. You might cautiously start at the state and local level. And in states with initiative and referendum where the voters can bypass the D’s and R’s in the legislature.
Sarah Palin is hot!
What are your thoughts if any on Mountain Justice?
comma.
Depends on whether I am the receiving or
Giving end.
ok, they are asking for folk to call and ask him what about West Virginians. But didn’t he FIRST identify himself as an Arab American? In CA there’s currently a hot issue on Hispanics, and politicians seeking the Hispanic vote. We have politicians saying things like:”The Latino kids attending public schools in California today will be tomorrow’s doctors, engineers, businessmen and teachers,”
That might be perfectly true, but you don’t see these politicians saying it about African Americans. Or Asian Americans. Or even German Americans. It implies that Latino are somehow “special”. And everyone else rightfully resents that. I think the same applies here. I understand forming a PAC group and supporting a given politician because they feel that politican will do more for them than others. But if they form a special interest PAC, then they ought to expect that everyone OUTSIDE that special interest PAC may take exception to what they are doing.
The gentleman did NOT say “I was a supporter of Virginians for Obama.” He implies his group had interests outside those of others. All this ad really does is state that “HEY, WE are out here too! what about OUR interests?”
Frankly, I’m not keen on any “hyphenated American”. It’s fine to recognize and celebrate one’s heritage. It’s another thing to forward your ethnic/racial/cultural group at the expense of others. And that is what the gentleman is saying he did.
Peggy Richter
I first met Don Blankenship years ago when Massey Coal bought the mine where my ex-husband worked, fired all the union men who worked there, and replaced them with non-union. Then later through his first wife, who was very active in rescuing and rehoming stray and abandoned dogs and cats in Mingo County. He was a cut-throat then and he is a cut-throat now, and he literally thinks that he can buy any office in West Virginia.
Mr. Rahall’s comments in this (typical for Blankenship) racist, fear-mongering ad were taken out of context. I want to think that West Virginians won’t fall for Blankenship’s manipulation this time.