Posted on 08/09/2012 6:57:15 AM PDT by Hojczyk
After giving then-Sen. Barack Obama a full-throttled endorsement in the 2008 presidential election, the United Mine Workers of America has decided not to endorse either Obama or the presumptive Republican nominee, Mitt Romney, in 2012.
As of right now, weve elected to stay out of this election, said Mike Caputo, a UMWA official and a Democratic member of the West Virginia House of Delegates. Our members right now have indicated to stay out of this race, and thats why weve done that.... I dont think quite frankly that coalfield folks are crazy about either candidate.
Both candidates are trying to prove otherwise to voters in coal-intensive swing states. Earlier this week the Obama campaign released in Ohio the first coal-issue ad of this cycle, claiming that Romney has flip-flopped his position on coal. The ad includes comments that Romney made as Massachusetts governor in 2003 standing in front of a coal plant, saying that he wouldnt support jobs that kill people.
For his part, Romney is claiming Obamas Environmental Protection Agency is waging a war on coal with a slew of regulations.
Caputo also noted that newly discovered resources of shale natural gas found all over the country, including the coal-intensive states of West Virginia, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, have contributed to coals decline as low natural gas prices compel utilities to shift from coal to gas as a power generator.
But politically, the EPA is the culprit for the coal industrys woes. Throughout Appalachia where Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia converge, the coal industrys disgruntlement with Obama is plastered on yard signs and billboards.
One billboard alongside a freeway near the Pennsylvania and West Virginia border said drivers were entering The Obama administrations no jobs zone. The billboard was sponsored by a coal-industry group,
(Excerpt) Read more at nationaljournal.com ...
Why in the world were the coal miners stupid enough to support The First Dictator when he ran in ‘08, bluntly telling the world that there was no such thing as “clean coal” and his goal was to shut down coal mining? And then they supported the lying Sen. Manchin, who votes consistently with Obama?
They deserve to be unemployed.
Translates: As to the the future of the coal industry and the livelihood of our workers, their families, and their communities, we offer no opinion. Our sworn allegiance to the Democrat party obliges us to withhold support for anyone not endorsed by the Democrat party regardless of the consequences. Our political contributions will continue to support the Democrat party.
Hear, hear!
Hear, hear!
so why has Richie Trumka signed on to help Obama with his “white guy problem”?
Exactly.
It's amazing how self-destructive human beings can be.
It would be useful for the superpacs to run ads of Obama pledging to bankrupt the coal industry in every coal producing state.
Its a party loyalty thing but its been changing. I grew up in the area near Fairmont and my Father is a miner. I almost dishowned him when I saw an Obama bumper sticker on his car 2008. There are no bumper stickers this year and the UMWA are not endorsing because miners are not just upset with Obama and his EPA they hate him. There are very few in WV left that like Obama. WV is going to shift solid red eventually. The problem is getting people to realize that supporting a conservative Democrat locally is supporting leftwing environmental nuts, gay marriage, and abortion nationally.
It's all a matter of racism. When they were employed, the miners were black guys...
...now that they've been unemployed, they're mostly white...
They made their bed, let them sleep in it.
Now that's funny!
If you're ten years old
The problem is; when energy and the fuel that drives it are at stake, we are all in the same bed. Unfortunately, union bugger eaters wet the bed.
Did I offend your union allegiance? Lighten up...
I guess it's not about the members
.
After all Obama has done to the industry, Mr. Caputo still plans to vote for him.
It’s not loyalty, it’s a mental illness.
You offended my and every reader’s intelligence.
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