She just needs a chart with three lines on it. Three honest, actual lines.
Amount of coal produced, the number of people employed in the Coal industry, and the number of people employed in the Solar / Wind industry. Point out that every coal miner in the room lives in constant fear of being let go from the mine because they all know a lot of people who aren’t working in the mines any more. (IMPORTANT: NOT “NO LONGER COAL MINERS”. A Coal miner is a coal miner for life, until they die of black lung.) Remind them of all their friends that the coal company has thrown away because they don’t need them anymore, and they won’t be needing them for very long, either…
Then tell them how dangerous it is to hang a 150’ turbine blade on a 300’ tower… real men are up to the task of making energy, however we need to do it.
I think all the progressives should do a deep dive into rural red america. Not to pander to the worst of their ideas. But to get out the message in places that are ignored, letting ignorance fester. Square deal/new deal policies should appeal to the working poor. I’m sure some right wing bigotry is so deeply ingrained that it’s not gonna turn, but there’s good people there too and you can reach them. People who don’t vote because they don’t think it matters. Ted Cruz and Steve King still won, but Beto and JD Scholten came within striking distance by taking that every county matters approach. Proving that there is a possible base in even some of those red counties.
I don’t think that matters very much at this point.
She’s the rep for part of New York. She needs to worry about her ratings with her constituents, not the “nation”.
She’s too young to stand for president, in both senses (legally, and in terms of experience.)
If nothing else she’s working as a bullet magnet, drawing a lot of conservative firepower which would otherwise be directed at more imediate Democratic targets.
I hope and believe that truth will out in the end. Her messages and delivery are so on point with what the majority of Americans really believe, that she will cut through in the end.
I wonder why Barr, a Republican, invited her? Is he going to stand beside her in unity, looking for help for his constituents, or does he think this will solidify his support among that particular community?
You could probably get 36 percent of Americans to say the disapprove of any politician of any persuasion. The fact that a lot of people are hearing her is what really scares them.
Yeah that’s right!! I mean we actually won a lot of house seats too. Here in iowa, (not deep red overall but pretty dang red in the rural counties) Abby Finkenauer beat a incumbent republican. and a nice thing about that story is she was given one of Steve king’s commity assignments when his racism got him kicked off.
In her case, she went to every county, and instead of focusing on the people who were clearly not going to vote for her, she focused on the people who were not voting… honestly, that’s the group that people need to focus on, instead of the hard core GOPers who will never vote for someone with a D by their name (especially if the candidate is a black woman!). But there are tons of people, especially working class people of all races, who just don’t vote, because no one speaks to them, or seems to really care about them. That’s why Trump did well in WV, because he spoke to them instead of seeming to dismiss them, which is what the larger Democratic party has done.
My suspicion is that Barr didn’t expect her to accept the invitation. He probably put it out as a challenge, thinking that she would be too afraid to visit.
Barr acknowledged there are no active mines in his district, but he said it is still coal-dependent with several companies that support the industry.
Another consideration: is mining another one of those industries where many of the remaining jobs are at risk of being swept away by automation? (And are the jobs in solar/wind expected to be more secure?)
Older Boingers/students of history will recall Lyndon B. Johnson visited 55 years ago. I think people of Appalachia are very well aware of the dangers and pollutants - and may even have a plan of their own.
