I'm not a political blogger. My beliefs tend toward a general feeling of pointlessness to the whole electoral process, like it's a weird Carny game that's really just a royal screw job. Blogging about politics is something I do rarely, but I couldn't help but notice the White Witch won the primary in Ohio.
Big surprise. I don't like the Clintons and repeat...in any election where either of them runs for anything, I'd sooner spend election day drinking and playing video games than cast a vote for the Democrats led by Hillary Clinton.
I have not forgotten the Telecommunications Act of 1996 and the interesting way all the radio stations turned to shit virtually overnight. I blame Bill Clinton for making Big Media bigger and less trustworthy and reliable than ever. I expect under the Clinton II it might even get worse. Big Media is taking a financial bath because of technology changes that grew exponentially after the Clintons. I suspect they'd want a friend in place who might be help them return to their former profitability.
Anyway, something crossed my mind this morning. I wonder how many people live in Ohio, but actually work in West Virginia? How many people make the commute? It is often mentioned how shitty state jobs are, but not all of them are that bad. I know at least three guys in state government who don't actually live in West Virginia. I wonder how many coal miners and business types live in Ohio?
It's deeper than that.
Former President Clinton has made appearances here. He and Smokin' Joe are supposedly buddies, both committed to finding a way to include coal in a future, enviro-friendly, post-gasoline energy plan (um... not very likely). Chelsea stopped in for a birthday dinner at the Bistro (are you fucking kidding me?).
During an election cycle, it's pretty standard for candidates to stop by, shake babies and kiss hands. Realistically speaking, little West Virginia doesn't matter a whole hell of a lot for the national election...except everybody cares about Ohio. I've noticed the appearances we're getting from the Clintons and company are focused near places within a rock's throw of Ohio (I'd bet Morgantown will see some action, now... Pennsylvania's primary is coming up) and away from the heart of coal country. They don't seem to give two shits for the tar paper shack crowd --which the tar paper shack crowd thoroughly gets.
I don't know the numbers, but I'm wondering how many people from Ohio read the Huntington and Charleston papers, watch Charleston and Huntington based television stations. Likewise, do border media in Ohio report on things like Chelsea Clinton eating a salad at the Bistro?
I think West Virginia is getting used as a means to get to other people whose votes count a little more. If that's true, it makes me hate the process a little bit more.
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2 comments:
I know several folks who work here and live in Ohio, and they voted on Tuesday.
Clinton/Manchin '08? *Shudder*
Manchin would only get the Veep position if he had something big to offer the ticket. He doesn't. The best he would get would be something like secretary of the interior, which doesn't sound like a better job than senator, which is what he wants.
However, I could see where if Clinton were president and the democrats controlled the Senate, his support would be rewarded with something on one of the more important committees, but that's really pie in the sky thinking. Clinton has virtually no chance of getting in the White House.
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