Obama, Go There

And I don't mean negative. The key to an Obama victory in the primary and the GE now lies nowhere else but in the misty mountains of Appalachia. So strap on your geeek glasses and lets have some fun. We've got work to do.

I am writing this diary out of a desire to see Barack Obama win the primary and general election. There is no doubt that Appalachia is the absolute KEY area to electoral victory for Obama. With the Appalachian vote goes the potential swing of WV, OH, VA, NC, PA and potentially KY and TN depending on the numbers come November.

So far, Obama is under-preforming 44% in Appalachian areas. Tennessee hinted at it (-41), Virginia seconded (-61), and SE Ohio (-31) has made it exceedingly clear. But it can, and will be his. Dive in with me to see how Obama locks up the primary, and crushes John McCain in the General Election.
And I don't mean negative.

Obama up 15+ in Virginia

Many have been concerned that we shouldn't pay too much attention to the polls. I agree, and present...Obama's Virginia Headquarters. Now get to work!
(h/t RaisingKaine)

...

Two polls have confirmed it! Obama over 50%, and Clinton under 40%

SurveyUSA has Obama up 59-37. The poll was conducted of Democratic Primary voters in Virginia.

The second poll is Insider's Advantage, which shows Obama up 52-37.

More below the fold, focusing on our neighbor to the North.

Appalachian Coal: the faucet is almost dry

The issues with coal-fired power plant emissions are well chronicled - increased lung and cardiovascular disease, loss of visibility, and (somewhat importantly) the complete shattering of our global climactic patterns.

Many are also seeing for the first time that extracting coal is as destructive (and socially expensive) as emitting coal. Mountaintop removal and strip mining are decimating the majestic Appalachian Mountains – the oldest mountains on this continent. More than 1 million acres have been blasted away, and shoved recklessly into creek-beds and hollows. 1200+ miles of headwater streams have been buried, poisoning the water for us and those who live down stream.

The ancient hardwood forests of Appalachia (themselves an important carbon sink in our war on CO2) are often shoved aside with the mountain, left to rot and clog our streams without even being commercially harvested. The “rape” of Appalachia, as Senator Webb has called it.

How much coal would be “worth it?”
100 years?
250 years?
500 years?

Hows about a dozen?

NC Dems and Mountaintop Removal

Update: Still no word from McIntyre or Etheridge. Please call them and see if we can get them to take a position on the Clean Water Protection Act (HR 2169.) Thanks!

The Clean Water Protection Act (HR 2169) would reverse the Bush Administration’s 2002 decision that the toxic “waste” created by mountaintop removal could be defined as “fill material,” and recklessly dumped into our water ways. This practice has already destroyed over 1200 miles of American headwater streams, and eliminated access to safe, clean potable water for many communities. The CWPA (HR 2169) currently has 107 co-sponsors, and a lot of momentum. But we need more to get out of committee and onto the floor.

We have 5 of 7 Democrats from NC onboard, and we need to know if Bob Etheridge and Mike McIntyre are “wit’ us” or “ginst us” on HR 2169. Please ask.

If you have a moment, please see if your Congressman is a co-sponsor, and take a moment to call Etheridge (202-225-2731) and McIntyre (202-225-2731), politely but forcefully asking that they co-sponsor the Clean Water Protection Act (HR 2169), and take a stand against mountaintop removal.

A quick report on our NC Dems and mountaintop removal below…

North Carolina Lawmakers Make Rare Call for Delay in Coal Plant Permitting Process

Exciting news for North Carolinians from the App Voices world! Obidiah also covered it here this morning

A group of North Carolina lawmakers called on the North Carolina Utilities Commission to enact a 90-day suspension of the permitting process for Duke Energy’s proposed 1,600 Megawatt expansion of it’s Cliffside Power Plant near Charlotte. Critics contend that the plant will not only create a significant increase in global warming pollution (the proposed plant will use conventional pulverized coal burning technology), but imposes huge financial risks on ratepayers, who will foot the bill for what may well be a $4 billion investment in new technology.

Empowering Veterans Inc.: "Dole among WORST 10 Senators"

Ralph Parrot, of "Empowering Veterans Inc." has presented their list of "Worst 10" Senators regarding their votes for/against American Veterans.

Dole does herself no favors in military North Carolina by being listed right smack dab in the middle of that list!

The list is as follows:

The "Worst 10" on issues relating to members of the Armed Forces and their families and veterans and their families are:

Alexander of Tennessee
Chambliss of Georgia
Cochran of Mississippi
Coleman of Minnesota
Cornyn of Texas
Dole of North Carolina
Graham of South Carolina
Roberts of Kansas
Sessions of Alabama
Sunnunu of New Hampshire

Obama co-sponsors public financing legislation

Wether it is fighting to bring our troops home, leading on energy policy, or standing up to the rediculous right-wing media Senator Barack Obama is - hype included - emerging head and shoulders above Hillary Clinton in the policy arena heading into the 2008 sweepstakes.

Obama has now signed on Senator Russ Feingold's bill calling for greater public financing of campaigns.

Welcome to Blue North Carolina! (Dems already lead in generic 08 presidential race)

Hey, miss yall. I've got a new job up here in DC fighting for our Appalachian mountains and working to stop mountaintop removal, and I am lovin it. Saw this report (.pdf)yesterday from Public Policy Polling, and was amazed at how well the work yall are doing is paying off!

Dems lead NC in the 08 presidential elections!

The Democrats have a surprising lead in a Presidential generic ballot. As of today, 43% of North Carolina likely voters want the next President to be a Democrat, while 41% want the President to be a Republican. North Carolina has not voted for a Democratic Presidential candidate since 1976. The intensity of feeling is slightly higher on the Democratic side as well. Sixty-four percent of those who said they want the next president to be a Democrat said that having a Democratic president is “extremely important” to them. Fifty-six percent who want a Republican president have similar extreme feelings.

From Coal to Wind Power: creating a sustainable Appalachian economy

This post is intended to continue to bring to light the problems with current energy production and consumption, and show what one little corner of the world here in western North Carolina is doing to pitch in on a GLOBAL problem of fossil fuel production and consumption.

In Appalachia, we begin by trading nightmarish mountaintop removal coal-mining, for an afternoon breeze...
...

(Cross-posted at the Appalachian Voices blog)

As America awakes to the effects that our energy production and consumption is having on the globe, people are shocked to find out that we do things like blow up 100s of 1000s of acres in our own mountains for a just little bit of coal. One of the most agreed upon tenets among those of us working for sustainable energy policy is that "there is no silver bullet" as far as alternative energy. Another words, it isn't feasible to run everything in the United States off just solar, just wind, or just hydro power. I adhere to this belief. America will need to localize our energy solutions in order to create the sustainable, clean, stable, domestic energy policy that everyone wants and needs.

NC-05 2008: It begins NOW

Kos has a thread about 2008's vulnerable house seats.

If you think Sweatershop Foxx belongs somewhere other than Congress, we have to keep chinking her armor, and we have to start NOW.

Please go here and help comment and recommend on this thread about taking Foxx out in 2008.

The larger thread link is here.

Thanks BlueNCers! Lets take that bitch out! She lost her home county (Watauga) this time by 1000 votes! She took 9% less than Bush did in the district in 2004. We have her on the ropes!

Peace,
JW

BlueNC

jwrandolph's blog