It was announced yesterday that three prominent Democrats from West Virginia would not be attending the Democratic Convention in North Carolina. Of course, they made their usual excuses about needing to do work for the people, getting the economy back in order, etc. But I think most people are intelligent enough to realize that they see the President as a liability in their state and don't want him to drag them down as they attempt to get reelected. The three politicians include Governor Earl Tomblin, Senator Joe Manchin, and Representative Nick Rahall.
One could just chart this up to the quirkiness of West Virginia (where Mr. Obama had no shot of winning anyway) if it wasn't the bit of news that Representative Mark Critz of Pennsylvania has also announced that he will be skipping the Convention. Critz's district is in western PA (PA-12), just outside of Pittsburgh. It was Jack Murtha's district before his death in 2010.
There is one common thread uniting these men though: coal. West Virginia's economy is heavily dependent on coal as is western Pennsylvania's. As part of the green energy initiative, funding and support for the coal industry has gone down while EPA regulations on coal use have gone up. Reducing the pollution produced by burning coal is certainly a laudable goal but when the economy is already in the toilet, doing anything that reduces jobs in a hurting industry (especially one that is the backbone of a state) is going to make you unpopular there.
As noted before, West Virginia is already lost so no real harm, no foul there. But Democratic strength in Pennsylvania is anchored by Philadelphia and heavy union turnout in Pittsburgh. If this turnout is depressed in any way, it could make the contest for Pennsylvania much closer than it should be.
As an aside, this is my 666th post. OOGA BOOGA!
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