grist.org

Seems to me that what is left out of all this is that places like Kentucky and WV are deeply divided on coal. Yes, there are those clinging to coal mining jobs--but there are just as many clinging to the mountains threatened with mining. The candidates COULD propose a radically different approach to energy production, a Green Jobs initiative. For Obama especially, this might seem a smart move since he has little chance here anyway due to racism and ignorance. I expect the real reason for all this pandering is a calculation about the risk of alienating the big money in these states; getting them against you would be risky.