If the town of Pound, Virginia is famous for anything, it’s their ordinance against dancing that was overturned by a federal District Court Judge in 1999. The judge found that you couldn’t even put on The Nutcracker in Pound without applying for a waiver from the local ban. The locals said that dancing and alcohol were too volatile a mix to tolerate, which put a damper on the good times at the local honky tonk at the edge of town.
There isn’t much to do in this hamlet tucked into the farthest reaches of the Cumberland Mountains, 425 miles from Washington. A new four-lane highway bypassed the town a few years ago, and the nearest fast-food restaurant is 12 miles away.
But a federal judge is helping to liven up the place. His ruling has many residents here kicking up their heels. Literally. They’re dancing–and for the first time in 18 years, it’s legal.
The town is in the news again today because the Associated Press profiled the place as part of their look at the upcoming gubernatorial race in Virginia. The place went overwhelmingly for Trump but it’s decidedly less enthusiastic about the Republican candidate for governor, Ed Gillespie. By now, you should be familiar with this story.
The town of Pound, nestled near the Kentucky line, was once a booming coal center where the main drag got so busy with shoppers that people couldn’t find a parking spot. Now, many shops are boarded up with dusty “For Sale” signs. Some buildings are collapsing, overgrown with weeds. Jobs are scarce. Prescription pain pills are a major problem. The high school closed in 2011.
Eight out of 10 voters in Pound backed Trump, and some of the town’s remaining business owners and patrons say their faith has already been rewarded.
“I’ve seen more coal trucks in the last six months than I have in the past eight years,” said David Williams, who owns a TV repair and fishing gear store.
It’s one of the mysteries of our age that the same folks who would ban dancing have no real problem warming up to a person like Donald Trump.
Hair salon owner Kim Mcfall said what little she knows of Gillespie hasn’t impressed her — he’s not enough like Trump, and too much like a typical politician.
“He’s wishy washy,” she said, adding that she’ll probably vote for Gillespie — if she has the time on Election Day…
…To win over Trump voters without directly embracing the president, Gillespie has tried to run on Trump-like issues such as cracking down on unlawful immigrants who commit crimes and preserving Virginia’s Confederate statues. He also campaigned recently in Abingdon, one of southwest Virginia’s biggest towns, with Vice President Mike Pence…
…Cliff Cauthorne, a Pound council member and chaplain at a nearby state prison, said Gillespie has only one good option for motivating his town’s voters: a Trump rally, “or two.”
“Him coming here with a coal miner’s hat on, it would just fire people up. It would fire people up,” Cauthorne said.
Obama lost Wise County, Virginia 35%-63% in 2008 and 25%-75% in 2012. Clinton lost it 18%-80% in 2016. Maybe the demise of the coal industry explains most of this. I don’t know. It’s obviously a very culturally conservative area that is always going to favor the Republicans, but it does matter if you’re getting more than one in three of their votes rather than less than one in five of them. The difference between those two outcomes when magnified across numerous counties in states like Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, explains why Trump is the president.
I can understand why the people of Pound are looking for something different from both political parties, but I still have trouble understanding why they don’t see Trump as a morally compromised person who is unworthy of holding the highest office in the land.
But if they’re not too interested in Ed Gillespie, then at least we share one thing in common.
“Footloose” is what I immediately thought of with the dancing reference – and that the ban happened 15 years after the movie, and even when it came out I thought it was a retro concept. Who would do that in the latter half of the 20th century?
One issue with coal country is that it currently looks like Appalachian coal country is about to die really quickly. With demand for coal collapsing and all the major companies in or facing bankruptcy the mines could be almost all closed by the end of Trump’s term.
Couldn’t resist this as a reply:
Two things: Gillespie isn’t like Trump; he’s “too much like a politician” and they’ve seen more coal trucks in six months than they have in eight yesrs.
Eight years? While Obama was in office, they mean.
The cult of Trump wants him because he’s not a politician and because he supports the coal miners. He shows up in these dying coal communities wearing a coal mining hat and that proves he’s got their backs.
It’s pathetic, really, that they are embracing a man who only promised to help them just to get their votes. He won’t be able to keep the mines alive because the industry is dead. And they will never see him for what he really is. They’re blind to his lies and they always will be.
“They’re blind to his lies and they always will be. “
No, its just that they were grasping at straws.
Of the two candidates, one was promising (unrealistically) of a return of jobs they were familiar with.
The other was promising ending the jobs they knew and bringing nebulous jobs in some undefined future. Maybe.
The people I spoke to admitted Trump was crazy, but given the choices they had, felt there was no choice.
R
“I can understand why the people of Pound are looking for something different from both political parties, but I still have trouble understanding why they don’t see Trump as a morally compromised person who is unworthy of holding the highest office in the land.”
Really?
Trump voters are kept happy by the dog and pony shows that we’ve witnessed over the past 8 months. For example, last week’s debacle over Trump’s awful phone call … to a minority widow of a minority soldier, which was witnessed by a minority Democrap female Congressperson who wears funny hats.
What don’t you get? Trump insulted these black and Democratic people every which way to Sunday and back, and his voters LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE it!!11!! They are getting their own back after having to suffer the vast great indignity of living under the ever so divisive reign of “that one,” aka Obama, yet another blah.
Ditto vis Trump’s praise of Nazi’s who allegedly are so “worried” about tearing down confederate statues.
Kelly got up on his hind legs and continued the lies and insults, and Trump’s fans just Lap. It. Up. They LOVE it. And the icing on the cake is when Sarah Sanders yells at libtards for daring to “question” a 4 Star (tinpot) General. WOW!! This is music to Trump’s fans’ ears.
THIS is what they voted for.
Frankly, it has precious little to do with coal trucks or jobs coming back. It’s about sticking it to minorities and to all so-called liberals. The end.
To what degree does that analysis founder on the rocks of ‘some of these exact same people voted for Obama?’
The funny thing I noticed over 50 years about the Appalachian South. When there are good times, these straight-laced mountain folk with strong beliefs are willing to ease out of bigotry and embrace the diversity they’ve had for two hundred-forty years. To a point. The people of the small towns the valley roads, and the coves are willing to enjoy life and even fess up to where moonshine is to be found. The preachers become unhappy as good times cause people to relax on their “sin taxes” to the preachers.
Coal is a means to an end. Their anger over the loss of coal comes from the politicians not figuring some other way for them to earn income without stigma. Ever since the death of Bobby Kennedy, the Democrats have been M.O.A. on the Appalachian economy echoing the Republican mantra “You’re on your own.” For people who have seen close relatives degenerate from alocoholism and government assistance, their demand is jobs with dignity instead of being paid for nothing to do. They expect nothing from Republicans. After the New Deal and Johnson’s Appalachian Regional Commission, they have high expectations of Democrats that were dashed the moment Republicans gained power over Congress.
Some ideas other than those that can be spun as Democrats harming their future would be helpful.
I’m not sure Northram has even tried. Gillespie seems to be out of his depth in the southwest.
This is exactly right.
Re: mining.
I looked at WV state statistics for coal and related employment 2008-2015. Employment was up 08-12 over Bush. But dropped in 12. Why? Natural Gas glut. But you can’t argue statistics and folks need a villain . Obama was a convenient target.
Don’t know Pound, but know lots of towns like it. hundreds of coal trucks run through our town a day. Vibrations shake buildings and crack glass. Employment up. Natural Gas prices rising….
Everyone knows coal is declining. Everyone knows someone injured, on drugs, on a check, etc… How to get out of the cycle? Govt promises of jobs or training are never fulfilled. That is why the animus against HRC and her coal comments. Promises of retraining and programs were never realistic, especially with a GOP Congress.
There is some planning and attempts on State level (forget Feds). Extending needed roads, industrial sites on former MTR land. (Land deemed worthless by owners as cost of reclamation too great so turned over to state). But any attempts at economic diversification in Southern Appalachia hampered by decades of neglect in infrastructure, education, and lack of commercially available land. To break cycle, will need to break those chains.
Ridge
With employment and financial security and decent living conditions people can get along well enough, but those conditions are rare and tend not to last that long.
Recently been driving through portions of South Side and Western Va. In the past I have reported the proportion of road/yard signs in those areas. Republicans have always equaled or outnumbered Democratic signs.
Except now. About 4 to 1 Northam over Gilespie.
Areas include very conservative agricultural Southside and more liberal areas in rural Western Va. Both show a leaning toward Northam. The Western area is not surprising due to proximity to universities and a “counterculture” center up in the mountains. But the Southside support baffles. Wife thinks its Trump. Or maybe protest against GOP “elite” Gillespie.
Northam’s bio is made for VA. Good on most issues but vague on the NG pipeline through area; a major fight for Democratic/environmental voters in Western Va.
National press saying Dem Party is “jittery” about Northam’s chances. Why?
Looking at areas Democrat’s carried in 2016.
Northam’s base is Norfolk region should do well there.
He seems have added support in Western Va and maybe picked up some in Southside.
Don’t know about Charlottesville but likely to do well there.
Wild cards are Richmond and suburbs and Northern Va.
HRC over performed in both as she wasn’t Trump. Gillespie is a standard issue GOP apparatchik and the crossover voters in those areas will have no reason not to vote for him. So it depends on turn out for Democrats and Trump base staying home as Gillespie is unpalatable.
Ridge
Although we live and work in Metro DC (MD), we are restoring an old farm in the Shenandoah Valley (western VA). Although the HOR Rep. is the thoroughly reactionary Bob Goodlatte, the people in this beautiful region are pretty serious about conserving the environment for small farms, nature tourism, wineries, etc. Strong dislike for fracking, for example. Also, James Madison University, a pretty progressive place is nearby. I agree, I have seen very few signs for Gillespie and many more for Northam (though, in general, far fewer signs than in 2016). Though many rural farmhouses hoist the rebel flag, many more of the small town people don’t appear to like Trump at all. As for Gillespie, he’s not only a Washington insider but he already lost a statewide election (Senate). The race will still be close but it’s really Northam’s to lose at this point.
Northern Shenandoah valley is an area I don’t travel. You have university towns like Harrisonburg and Stanton but also major agricultural center. Interesting support for Northam.
Southside (areas outside Danville and Martinsville- west) is conservative, yet more Northam highway signs than Gillespie. Roanoke is a Democratic center and New River Valley is mixed politically but still many more Northam signs.
2016 Richmond suburbs surprised me with the heavy support for HRC. NoVa area as well, over performed vs Obama. Don’t have a feel for this off year election.
R
My guess is that whether or not the coal trucks are actually coming through town more in the last six months than in the last eight years doesn’t mean shit as far as the points of view or the political opinions of the good people in the town of Pound, Virginia. If there wasn’t a goddamned coal truck that actually came through town in the last 9 months, these people would still be singing the same praises of Donald Trump, and they would still feel their “faith has been rewarded”.
And that it because it has nothing to do with what Trump has done or promised to do as far as the economic recovery of their little town. It is much more simple and basic than that. It is about screwing over anyone who is outside their tribe. Minorities, liberals, Democrats, non-Christians and non-conservative Christians, atheists, feminists, the list goes on and on. Trump is the culmination of everything they have heard from Rush Limbaugh for the last 30 years. He is the tribal messenger, sent from God to channel their rage, sate their grievances, and to settle the score with all those who are “not them”.
They couldn’t give two shits about Trump’s qualifications to be President, or his complete lack of moral character. Those things are not viewed by these people as negatives. They are some of the very things that make Trump golden to them.
“He hates the same people I hate, give me the damn ballot”.
.
Build the Wall and they’ll let Trump sleep with their wives.
Before New York financiers developed coal mines in Appalachia in the 1880-1920’s, the area was a economic backwater of impoverished white’s suffering from rocky, infertile, soil and an inheritance system that made every succeeding generation poorer than the last.
Coal powered a brief investment in Appalachia no seen before or since. The Continuous Miner in the 1930’s dropped work force needs by 2/3rds. Mechanization has only further dropped the need for actual humans in the mines; however mined tonnage in Appalachia changed little until Government subsidized Wyoming Power River coal began putting Appalachia coal out of business. Oh the irony!!
Over this whole period coal miners (unionized or otherwise) dreamed of same thing their fathers and grandfathers dreamed of….escaping the mine.
Power plants have only started using their government forced over production stockpiles in the last year. Even before the election forecasters predicted an false “bump” in demand through 2018..then the decline continues.
We need to stop this mythologizing the coal industry and the miners. It was considered a dirty industry of last resort during the miner’s heyday in the 1890-1917…it would be still be now if utilities were forces to up their tonnage orders they don’t want or need today.
The company coal towns, such as Gary WV and Lynch, KY peaked during the WWII years. Few company towns were as nice as those two, but the fantasy lingers that most were and people were well taken care of.
Engineers in both Confederate and Union Armies passed through Southern Appalachia and recognized Timber and coal resources. Timbering began after the war and logs could be floated down the multiple rivers to the Ohio. This continued for decades (as my Grandfather did). Coal could not be exploited until it could be shipped out and workers could be shipped in, which required railroad building in some of the most forbidding terrain in the US. These engineers were the ones who recruited investors in the NE cities and in Richmond for railroads and mines: laid out the routes and began construction.
Fields in Ohio and PA were first expanded, then further south in WV,VA, KY, Tenn, etc…
As the industrialization of the Midwest required coal, the fields grew. Mechanization reduced employment as production grew. Money still flowed into the communities. Now demand decreasing, though orders are being filled. Wages have been lowered so that South App. coal is competitive with other sources.
But the tide is shifting again. 1970’s land ownership studies showed huge holdings by coal and railroad companies in WV. 2nd study in 2010’s showed same holdings have been shifted to international timber resource companies. US timber is valuable on worldwide markets and Appalachian hardwood is shipping to Europe and China.
Since the extraction industry came to Southern Appalachia, they have never paid adequate tax on that land. They have owned all or part of the State Legislatures. Coal tax revenue papered that over, but with declining coal money (and limited employment from timber industry), the loss in revenue is becoming apparent.
its easy to say coal is a “dirty” industry. As is any extraction industry. Question is, what to do? Huge swaths of the Nation have been abandoned for decades while other, more politically powerful, have feasted on Govt subsides of water, investment, etc… Southern Appalachia will never get the Trillions spent on the dessert SW and continued subsidies required for its over population. Nor will it get the Farm subsidies for the Midwest. It must depend on itself for development and the first step would be taxing the absentee land ownership at 2017 rates, not 1897 rates. That will generate the revenue needed for education, infrastructure, etc…
R
“Maddened by false promises and soured by true miseries.” C.S. Lewis, “The Pilgrim’s Regress.”
Booman writes:
You don’t understand that idea, Martin? The answer is right in your post, plain as day.
There it is in a nutshell. They are all “”wishy washy,” these professional politicians. They have one eye on the polls at all times, and they craft their “message(s)” entirely by what those polls say. Simple people can smell this a mile away, and they don’t like it one bit. If the deplorables line didn’t entirely lose HRC this election all by itself, her public and private positions gaffe was the clincher. Trump doesn’t do this. He speaks from the heart. It’s a fairly well fucked up heart as far as I am concerned, but at least it’s real.
One of the biggest, most damaging, continuing misconceptions his opponents have made is that he is…as are they…just another two-faced professional pol. He’s not. It’s not necessarily a “nice” face, but there’s only one. What you see is what you get. His supporters like that.
AG
P.S. The professional pols’ polls and their pollsters are all “wishy washy.” From top to bottom, the politicians and their handlers “wish” for certain results from their polls…results that they can use in the media to establish their own inevitabilty, thus huckstering the sucksters into voting for them… and the pollsters obligingly “wash” their polls (usually by only polling a segment of the society that can be counted upon to favor their current client), providing raw material to be fed to the willing media to use as clickbait.
All false news, all the time. From both parties.
And now it’s backfiring. People are fed up with it.
Nice.
Look where the reaction to that scam has gotten us.
Nice.
Twice.
Later…
AG
Which may explain the Obama votes; he seemed sincere and it gave them a way to disprove their (self acknowledged, if publicly refuted) racial prejudice. Later, with Romney, it was no contest on the wish-washy dial.
As it was no contest with Hillary/Trump. The fact that they were so ravenous for a non-wishy-washy candidate that they would settle for the wishy-washiest of all even as he projected his (and their) rock solid bigotry is what is so ironic.
Cheap absolution, and you only have to confess once. Hence 2008 v. 2012
Yeah, but he is definitely not wishy washy as far as his presentation goes. He’s rock solid in his self-love. Maybe not within…narcissism usually hides other problems…but without?
He’s a man’s man!!! And many women’s man too. Bet on it. The women who read those rock ’em sock ’em, so-called “romance” novels? The ones where the man’s man takes his women by force of
arms…errr, ahhh…personality? I see them on the subway regularly, engrossed in the grossness of it all.So it goes…
As H. L. Mencken wrote way back in 1926:
Still true today.
Bet on it.
He also wrote in the same piece:
Still true today.
it’s the way of the world, prevdem.
Everywhere.
So that goes as well.
Later…
AG
I don’t know anything about this area, but I think that people can overlook a lot of principled objections (assuming that they truly have any) if you 1) say things that they want to hear (or secretly believe); and 2) promise to get them jobs. At the end of the day, whether or not Trump’s going to hell is his problem, not theirs.
What I am learning from this discussion is that many people seem to be making up their minds based on the personality (perceived or real) of the candidate.
I don’t know whether they’re low information voters or over-informed or what, but I suspect they rationalize the subconscious decision with a reason or a slogan.
Beyond test marketing problems and solutions and making sure there are no more covert contracts with voters, the Democratic party has to market candidates that resonate with voters. They don’t have to charming and cheery – they can be jackasses, but they have to intrigue the electorate.
This certainly helps me understand some of the nonsense I have heard from family members and others – the decision is made on some subjective basis and then a reason that doesn’t compute is slapped over it for the benefit of the discussion later.
Whom does Kamala Harris hate?
Whom does Corey Booker, or Kirsten Gillebrand, or Eric Garcetti hate? Sherrod Brown? Chris Murphy?
Because that’s what ‘resonate’ means in this country, at this time.
That’s today. I’m betting this is a one-hit wonder, and the next hit could be something completely different, not a lame sequel.
Could be…
But….who?
Who in public life has the charisma…negative or positive…to pull this off?
Mark Cuban, maybe?
He’s making candidate noises, just as did Trump a couple of years outside of the primaries. he’s got the money, too.
We’ll see, I suppose.
One way or another.
AG