This article is full of funny details that undermine its central argument (Manchin is cynically killing the climate to get rich). The guy comes from coal miners, founded a coal company in the 80s, lost an uncle in the mines, introduced legislation to make black lung claims easierhttps://twitter.com/theintercept/status/1449439003980206086 …
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The Intercept even manages to attack Manchin both for opposing and for supporting stricter mercury emissions standards. What was the morally upright stance here in the Intercept's eyes, keeping mercury levels exactly the same?pic.twitter.com/lLhp6nhLGa
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I don't agree with Manchin's stance on coal, but I recognize that his beliefs and arguments on the balance between energy independence, climate, safety, and jobs have been consistent for thirty years, and that he consistently wins in coal country against a 23 point partisan lean.
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The attempt to unmask the real motives of the coal guy from the coal family in the coal state as financial rather than political is ridiculous. Hillary Clinton said “We’re going to put a lot of coal miners and coal companies out of business” and got 26% of the West Virginia vote.
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Coal miners are a politically potent constituency wherever they're found. If your climate bill depends on the guy from the mining state, then you're going to need to grit your teeth and put beautiful coal in your energy plan to get his vote, and it has little to do with money.
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Future historians will be astonished that we couldn't find a workable compromise on such an important issue while we still held power.https://twitter.com/paulkrugman/status/1449385953563381767 …
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There are 49 senators to the right of Joe Manchin and maybe demonizing the guy and burning the Democratic agenda on his doorstop is not the smartest strategy.
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My understanding is that coal’s role in the WV popular imagination is out of proportion to its actual role in the state’s actual economy in 2021, no?
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Absolutely so. Way more people work in health care in Appalachia than in the mines. But the identity and constituency remain highly symbolic, like they did in Poland in the 90's or in Britain under Thatcher.
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Much of the state is trying to get away from coal, though. They’re leaning hard into outdoor tourism, there’s towns with 600 people and 4 very successful microbreweries, they’re running fiber up and down Corridor H. Someone sees a future without coal.
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People there aren't dumb and know the coal industry is dying (and killing them in the process). But it's one thing to understand that, and another thing to vote to compound the economic devastation in your state.
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