Democratic Primary; Anybody but Obama wins 40% + in 3 Southern States

[jimmy olsen]

Has mocking rednecks gone out of style here?

Do we get to mock Puerto Ricans as well?

Sure, go nuts.

[Admiral Yi]

His desire to cripple the coal industry doesn't seem to help.

They should worry more about natural gas than anything Obama does.

[derspiess]

Has mocking rednecks gone out of style here?

Do we get to mock Puerto Ricans as well?

Sure, go nuts.

Cool, thanks.

[derspiess]

His desire to cripple the coal industry doesn't seem to help.

They should worry more about natural gas than anything Obama does.

Disagree.  If natural gas ends up being a cheaper, cleaner competitor to coal, there's ultimately not much you can do about it (and guess what-- WV has significant natural gas deposits).  Federal regulation is something you can actually fight.

[dps]

I believe Appalachia was an area that psephologists think Obama's race was a significant negative.  That could be part of it.

His desire to cripple the coal industry doesn't seem to help.

It kinda deserves some crippling, dude.  At least a decent hobbling.

It's not the 1890s anymore.

Some people still like living there, though. 

Generally speaking, coal mining is not an economic activity that makes nearby areas more desirable places to live.

[CountDeMoney]

The only people that enjoy living in Martinsburg, West Virginia are the federal employees, since they fall under the Washington DC GS rate.

Can you imagine even being a GS-11 or more, making DC money with an Appalachia cost of living?  Talk about a kingship.

"Yes, I'm a second-tier accountant for the United States Government. Now if you don't mind, I have to pick out the Italian marble I'm going to line the in-ground pool patio with."

[dps]

The only people that enjoy living in Martinsburg, West Virginia are the federal employees, since they fall under the Washington DC GS rate.

Can you imagine even being a GS-11 or more, making DC money with an Appalachia cost of living?  Talk about a kingship.

"Yes, I'm a second-tier accountant for the United States Government. Now if you don't mind, I have to pick out the Italian marble I'm going to line the in-ground pool patio with."

Yeah, and since there are so many federal employees living there now, and they're dependent on Amtrak to get to work, there's more political support for Amtrak in the eastern panhandle of WV than probably anywhere else in the country.

[Tonitrus]

I believe Appalachia was an area that psephologists think Obama's race was a significant negative.  That could be part of it.

His desire to cripple the coal industry doesn't seem to help.

It kinda deserves some crippling, dude.  At least a decent hobbling.

It's not the 1890s anymore.

Some people still like living there, though. 

Generally speaking, coal mining is not an economic activity that makes nearby areas more desirable places to live.

I meant the 1890s.

[derspiess]

FWIW, West Virginia was highly deforested in the 1890s, IIRC.  Landscape was pretty ugly.  Nowadays they have a shitload of trees.

Anyway, coal is still the way to go IMO as far as fulfilling our energy needs.  Find something that's cleaner *and* cheaper and I'll sign on.  But nobody should bitch about our dependency on foreign oil if they're also trying to squeeze coal out of the picture.

[Valmy]

Anyway, coal is still the way to go IMO as far as fulfilling our energy needs.  Find something that's cleaner *and* cheaper and I'll sign on.  But nobody should bitch about our dependency on foreign oil if they're also trying to squeeze coal out of the picture.

I do not get the connection.  Oil is used for fuel, coal is used for power.

[MadBurgerMaker]

The only people that enjoy living in Martinsburg, West Virginia are the federal employees, since they fall under the Washington DC GS rate.

Can you imagine even being a GS-11 or more, making DC money with an Appalachia cost of living?  Talk about a kingship.

"Yes, I'm a second-tier accountant for the United States Government. Now if you don't mind, I have to pick out the Italian marble I'm going to line the in-ground pool patio with."

Hell yeah.  Huntsville, TX is like that too (they fall under the Houston rate).   

I don't think even the prospect of living like a god-king would make me want to move there though.

[HisMajestyBOB]

FWIW, West Virginia was highly deforested in the 1890s, IIRC.  Landscape was pretty ugly.  Nowadays they have a shitload of trees.

Anyway, coal is still the way to go IMO as far as fulfilling our energy needs.  Find something that's cleaner *and* cheaper and I'll sign on.  But nobody should bitch about our dependency on foreign oil if they're also trying to squeeze coal out of the picture.

Pretty much everything is cleaner than coal.

[Barrister]

The only people that enjoy living in Martinsburg, West Virginia are the federal employees, since they fall under the Washington DC GS rate.

Can you imagine even being a GS-11 or more, making DC money with an Appalachia cost of living?  Talk about a kingship.

"Yes, I'm a second-tier accountant for the United States Government. Now if you don't mind, I have to pick out the Italian marble I'm going to line the in-ground pool patio with."

Hell yeah.  Huntsville, TX is like that too (they fall under the Houston rate).   

I don't think even the prospect of living like a god-king would make me want to move there though.

That's what I loved about being a rural Alberta Crown.  There was no differential in pay between rural and urban - but there sure as hell was a differential in terms of cost of living.   

[derspiess]

FWIW, West Virginia was highly deforested in the 1890s, IIRC.  Landscape was pretty ugly.  Nowadays they have a shitload of trees.

Anyway, coal is still the way to go IMO as far as fulfilling our energy needs.  Find something that's cleaner *and* cheaper and I'll sign on.  But nobody should bitch about our dependency on foreign oil if they're also trying to squeeze coal out of the picture.

Pretty much everything is cleaner than coal.

Okay, now do cheaper.

[Admiral Yi]

I thought gas was cheaper than coal.