G-Comm™: Hoppy’s Commentary - State Dem Party Puts Tomblin, Manchin in Tight Spot

You have to give credit to the hundreds of delegates to the West Virginia Democratic Party convention in Charleston this weekend.  They made it clear they support President Barack Obama and want him to serve another four years.

According to an account in the Charleston Gazette, the delegates approved a resolution saying all state and national candidates in West Virginia must publicly support and endorse all Democratic office holders, “including the head of our Democratic Party and our President, Barack Obama.“

The resolution said that it’s confusing to voters when candidates equivocate. (We’re looking at you, Governor Earl Ray Tomblin and Senator Joe Manchin.)

Normally, only party activists pay any attention to platforms and resolutions.  They’re relics from the days when greater political power rested with the party.  Today, politics are more top down, with candidates using the media more than party infrastructure to generate support.

But the Obama resolution by the state Democratic Party is significant because Tomblin and Manchin have distanced themselves from this President.  The administration’s stand on coal, and his unpopularity among a majority of their constituents, have caused Tomblin and Manchin to refuse to say whether they will vote for the President.

Tomblin has taken a “firmly undecided” position.  He has said neither President Obama nor Republican challenger Mitt Romney has earned his support.  Senator Manchin, meanwhile, has been more schizophrenic, seemingly shifting depending on the audience.

Now, however, their own party has put them in a box.  The resolution adopted by the delegates requires them to publicly support a President whose policies are designed to bring an eventual end to coal mining, the state’s leading industry.

Republican Gubernatorial candidate Bill Maloney, who lost to Tomblin in last year’s special election by a mere 7,500 votes, couldn’t believe his good fortune.  The Dems had hardly wrapped up their convention before the Maloney camp was firing off press releases.

“I have a simple question for Earl Ray; does he agree with his Party?“ asked Maloney.

Meanwhile, Republican Senate candidate John Raese* is stepping up his efforts to link Manchin to Obama.  Raese has created a new ad for radio, TV and billboards called the “Gang of Four” where Raese blames Obama, Manchin, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson and UMWA President Cecil Roberts for the EPA’s assault on the coal industry.

Friday, on Metronews Talkline, I spoke with convention delegate Dr. Coy Flowers from Lewisburg. Flowers is an enthusiastic Obama supporter and he welcomes the challenge to try to convince voters why he’s good for the country.

“I think when we come out of this weekend, you’re going to see an overwhelming majority of Democrats support the President and his plans,“ predicted Flowers.

I admire his optimism, however, the Democratic Party loyalists who journeyed to Charleston are not a true cross section of Democratic and Independent voters in West Virginia.  The recent Primary Election, where unknown jailbird Keith Judd got 41% of the vote, proved that.

Normally, the West Virginia Democratic Party sails along like a large cruise ship, good times on a smooth journey.  Party disagreements are diminished by the numbers advantages in registration and elected positions.

But the Obama presidency has accentuated the true divide that exists in the party between the liberal wing and those who are more moderate to conservative.  And now, by their own hand, the Democratic Party has given Republicans an even greater opportunity to take political advantage of the split, especially in the key races for Governor and U.S. Senator.

(*In the interest of full disclosure, John Raese owns the Metronews Radio Network and I have contributed to his campaign.)

Let me start by saying, “ I am totally ashamed to admit I am a registered Democrat” of many years. That will be changing as quickly as possible.

  To find out the Democrat delegates that met in Charleston this weekend have approved a resolution stating all State and National candidates MUST publicly support and endorse President Obama and all Democratic office holders is the bottom line. WV, these are the same people that want to destroy our coal mine production. To keep Obama, Tomblin, and Manchin in office will assure WV coal miners that the coal will stop. Tomblin and Manchin won’t go against their party for fear of losing their power and seats. The USA used to be free, it is now under total control of Democrats who have turned their backs on the betterment of the people and are thinking only of the Democrat party. None of these shameless Demos. will be receiving my vote this fall or ever again. The ones running against the current administration surely cannot do any worse than what we have seen in the past 4 years.“God Bless the USA.“

Very few average citizens realize what has happened with the Democrat party.
You first need to understand what the “New Party” is a what they stand for.  Basically the New Party is a communist/socialist party, that was formed with the “specific intent” to infiltrate the Democrat party with their commie/social agenda.  That has pretty well happened now as anyone who watches politics, knows that something is not right with the Democrat party. 
You see example after example, and this just another.
Power, greed, keeping in office, are all the “order of the day”.

Wow, so W.V. Democrat Candidates lined up behind the Democrat Presidential candidate during an election year.  What a shocker.  By the by, which Democrat candidates did you say the Republican party supported?

Get it straight, we have no Democrat Party in Gilmer County so I wouldn’t worry.  Couple of years ago we put a Republican in as County Clerk

This county votes for people without enough courage to put their party on their signs and for convicted felons.

There is no loyalty to values and they would rather vote against someone’s skin color than take the time to get the facts beyond what they hear on TV. I’d love to see a poll on how many have even bothered to read the charter of the party they vote for.

Before you vote for anyone I suggest you take a serious look at the Ryan plan and see what you think about it. Think things are bad now?

There was no consistent support for clean coal technology by the oil & gas industry who owns most of the state’s mineral rights. The unions came about trying to improve the inhuman conditions of the Coal Miner but that had to go in W.V. They have permitted removal of our beautiful mountain tops for the quick buck then quickly moved to Marcellus for the same reason. Walk our mountains, taste the water and see what a garbage dump they have become thanks to this special interest group while no one is watching. There is no consistency of format or plan to lift us out of this fast money and full speed ahead graveyard. Raese supports elimination of the minimum wage and the Dept of Education along with the Dept. of Energy and the IRS.  Sounds good but will such deregulation really improve anything but the bank accounts of big money fat cats? There is no evidence to support it.