Alienated and Angry, Coal Miners See Donald Trump as Their Only Choice

[lostinblue 1,989]

Alienated and Angry, Coal Miners See Donald Trump as Their Only Choice

For these men, this season’s presidential campaign boils down to a single choice. “I’m for Trump,” said Dwayne Riston, 27, his face smeared in dust. “Way I see it, if he wins, we might at least stand a chance of surviving.”

Few places in America offer such a simple electoral calculus as the rolling, tree-studded hills of West Virginia.

Even as Donald J. Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, lags badly in crucial swing states and loses his grip on white male voters over all, he remains on solid ground here with his promise to “bring back coal.” The fact that his Democrat opponent, Hillary Clinton, said in March, “We’re going to put a lot of coal miners and coal companies out of business,” has helped, too.

But this is not just about economics. West Virginia’s coal country is part of the broader white, working-class vote that has coalesced around a single candidate, Mr. Trump, like never before. His support here stems from a profound, decades-in-the-making sense of political and cultural alienation that has left people feeling distant from their leaders, and even from fellow Americans.

With salaries starting at $70,000 a year, a job in the mines was long considered the local jackpot.

Jeremy Queen, 35, earned $30 an hour in a mine a few years ago. Now he is working security at a Walmart for $10.50 an hour, and the economic slump means even the shopping mall that houses his store is suffering.

“When the mines go down, it hurts everything,” he said.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/20/world/americas/alienated-and-angry-coal-miners-see-donald-trump-as-their-only-choice.html?smid=tw-nytimes&smtyp=cur&_r=1

[Dakine10 5,452]

Trump preaches to the angry and alienated. People will readily believe the things they want to believe, and hear the things they want to hear. Nothing Trump has ever done or plans to do is for the benefit of these people.

As Mark Twain wrote, it's easier to fool people than to convince them they have been fooled. In the unlikely event of Trump winning, these people are, unfortunately, only going to end up more angry and alienated.

[Póg mo 1,749]

Alienated and Angry, Coal Miners See Donald Trump as Their Only Choice

For these men, this seasons presidential campaign boils down to a single choice. Im for Trump, said Dwayne Riston, 27, his face smeared in dust. Way I see it, if he wins, we might at least stand a chance of surviving.

Few places in America offer such a simple electoral calculus as the rolling, tree-studded hills of West Virginia.

Even as Donald J. Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, lags badly in crucial swing states and loses his grip on white male voters over all, he remains on solid ground here with his promise to bring back coal. The fact that his Democrat opponent, Hillary Clinton, said in March, Were going to put a lot of coal miners and coal companies out of business, has helped, too.

But this is not just about economics. West Virginias coal country is part of the broader white, working-class vote that has coalesced around a single candidate, Mr. Trump, like never before. His support here stems from a profound, decades-in-the-making sense of political and cultural alienation that has left people feeling distant from their leaders, and even from fellow Americans.

With salaries starting at $70,000 a year, a job in the mines was long considered the local jackpot.

Jeremy Queen, 35, earned $30 an hour in a mine a few years ago. Now he is working security at a Walmart for $10.50 an hour, and the economic slump means even the shopping mall that houses his store is suffering.

When the mines go down, it hurts everything, he said.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/20/world/americas/alienated-and-angry-coal-miners-see-donald-trump-as-their-only-choice.html?smid=tw-nytimes&smtyp=cur&_r=1

Mines run out, fact of life. I know the traditional Republican response was to tell people who have been displaced by economics, was tell them to that they should have studied harder in school, but me, I am more understanding and would hope that the government do all it can to help such people to retrain, and not just say, here are food stamps, now go work for Walmart, because I don't want to see my tax dollars being wasted on the needy or, something to that effect.

[John Miller 761]

The coal mines are history no matter who wins in November. They're not only environmentally unsustainable, they are also economically unsustainable. Trump aint gonna save the coal mines. He's pandering to the coal miners, of course, but he won't help them. That's just the reality of it all.