Don Blankenship is the worst candidate ever. If Blankenship wins the Republican primary on 10 May 2018, I for one will be wondering what is in the West Virginia water . . . other than coal ash of course.
Blankenship is running for the Republican US Senate nomination in West Virginia. He’s one of the three viable GOP candidates — Rep. Evan Jenkins and state Attorney General Patrick Morrissey are the others — in next Tuesday’s primary. And he is an unmitigated disaster.
Don’t take my word for it! Here’s Donald Trump Jr. on Blankenship: “I hate to lose. So I’m gonna go out on a limb here and ask the people of West Virginia to make a wise decision and reject Blankenship! No more fumbles like Alabama. We need to win in November.”
How has Blankenship earned his title? Let’s count the ways.
He may be the least charismatic candidate ever
Blankenship, for reasons totally unclear to me, has made the decision to run a series of ads in which he is talking directly to the camera. I am not sure what the “exact right word is for the absolute and total opposite of charisma” but I am certain its living embodiment is in Don Blankenship.
I mean, check this out:
And, if you really want to torture yourself, here are more of Blankenship’s videos. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. The production values of the ads are sub-“Wayne’s World.”
Click through the CNN article for 3 more reasons why Blankenship is the worst candidate ever.
According to Wikipedia, the West Virginia Republican primary is on 10 May 2018 and at this point, it is a race between:
- Don Blankenship, former Chairman & CEO of Massey Energy[20]
- Bo Copley, coal miner[21]
- Evan Jenkins, U.S. Representative[22]
- Patrick Morrisey, Attorney General of West Virginia[23][24][25][26]
- Jack Newbrough, truck driver and Navy veteran[27]
- Tom Willis, Army veteran[28]
If Blankenship wins the Republican primary next week, Democrat Joe Manchin should have an easier time holding on to his seat. As TC says, better a DINO than a Republican, especially one like Blankenship. But West Virginia Democrats, don’t rest on your laurels. GET OUT AND VOTE like your life depends on it, because it does.
Don Blankenship has been on my radar for several years, since I first saw an article in Mother Jones about him and the coal mine disaster at the Upper Big Branch mine which killed 29 men on 05 April 2010. TC published The Empathy of Massey Energy on 18 April 2010. I published The Fall of King Coal on 05 October 2015 and some short takes as follow-up. Blankenship finally went to prison for one year, which is a crime as he should have received 30 years for the deaths of 29 men. I guess it pays to be a well connected Republican! Then Blankenship raised his ugly head again when he announced he was running for a federal Senate seat representing West Virginia. I published this article, “The Dark Lord Of Coal Country” Wants To Go To Washington. But today, part of the furor is about his racist attack on Mitch McConnell’s family and his new name for McConnell . . . Cocaine Mitch. Personally, I prefer to call McConnell “McTurtle”. I have seen two of his ads and they are abysmal. Here is a Washington Post Fact Checker video that certainly puts perspective to the Cocaine Mitch allegations . . . FOUR Pinocchios!!!
13 Responses to “The worst candidate in America”
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Blankenship was charged and found guilty of causing the death of dozens of miners and the only reason Junior won’t back him is because he doesn’t think Blankenship can win?!?
GOP suffers from utter, total, absolute moral bankruptcy!
If Blankenship was found guilty of being responsible for the deaths of so many miners, why the blazes isn’t he in prison? As much as I despise the Prison-Industrial Complex, I also acknowledge that some really rotten people deserve to be locked up.
If a convicted criminal such as Blankenship…. couldn’t control (take care of the mines) for the safety/concerns of the miners, which resulted in 29 DEATHS of them……what in the sam hell is he going to do in the Senate????!
What a despicable POS!
You’re right about the production values … and he has the money for better. So either he has no staff (no one wants to be seen with him), or his staff want him to lose. We are talking about a primary here, so that would not make anyone who didn’t support him anything but “good,” solid Republicans (and by “good,” of course, I mean evil.)
Are Democrats allowed to vote in the Republican primary in West Virginia?
I don’t know but one would think not. If they were, I would think that he would have had less than 20% of the vote.
Blankenship: Definitely a really BAD candidate! Ugh!
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Amen Squatch!
Excellent article, Lynn!
You’d think that a coal-millionaire convicted for wiping his backside with safety regulations in his mines, causing the death of 29 and destroying the lives of dozens, if not hundreds more would know to shut up about it in his campaign ads, but Blankenberg has made it one of his hot topics. Five years ago, this despicable egotist would have stood zero chance of being voted into the US senate. However, Bankenberg clearly puts himself in the same league as Drumpf (he’s rich too, isn’t he!) and tries to imitate his blustering I’m-a-victim-here style, and if Republicans in West Virginia voted for Drumpf, do not put it past them to vote for Blankenberg too.
On a side note: Has anyone noticed how often Junior is with his Dad in pictures these days (e.g. after Drumpf’s speech at the NRA convention) or speaking for him when Daddy doesn’t want to burn his fingers on Blankenberg as he does here? I thought he and Eric were looking after Daddy’s empire to avoid conflict of interest?
Conflict of interest means nothing to the, as Richard puts it, the Trump crime family. They think they can make their own rules and are above the law.
In my opinion, and in agreeance with others here, this creature Blankenship most definitely belongs in prison for life.
I believe that Blankenship should serve one life sentence for each life that he is responsible for taking.
The trump crime family has now, well blurred the demarcation line between government and business.
There are multiple instances of the trump children negotiating private business deals in foreign countries while at the same time meeting with government officials that could have an impact on the outcome of such deals.
The trump crime family has not even a passing acquaintance with good, moral ethics.
If he looses, you can expect tDump to find a slot for him in his cabinet! Oh, yeah, especially if Pruitt is forced out!
We’ll see! Blankenship referred to himself as being “Trumpier than Trump” but Drumpf was tweeting to WV voters not to vote for Blankenship.
Perhaps Drumpf learned from the Moore fiasco. As of yet he has not taken him into the fold so maybe he won’t take in Blankenship. Any replacement for Pruitt, assuming its a position at the same level and not a sleight of hand trick like Mick Mulvaney at the CFPB, would have to be confirmed and Blankenship’s nomination won’t make it to the Senate floor since he more than bad mouthed McTurtle and he is a convicted felon still on probation.
Thanks all!
From the NY Times:
Well there you have it, Blankenship lost and is blaming everyone else for the loss. Definitely a capital L LOSER!