Well, we got some snow: 16 inches so far (according to reports), and it's still coming down. My high school poetry class has been canceled for the second week in a row, the Poetry Out Loud state finals that I was supposed to judge today have been postponed till next week. I guess I'll be cleaning bathrooms and painting a door--and shoveling--instead.
But let's not talk about that. Let's talk about Pennsylvania House District 18! This is Chestnut Ridge country. The town of Scottdale, which features prominently in my poetry collection, is located in Westmoreland County, which went heavily for Trump in the presidential election. And while it remains the most conservative section of the district, the fact that this election is currently too close to call--and that the Democrat is ahead--is exceptionally good news.
According to what I have read, the Republican candidate has made a couple of big mistakes (in addition to being associated with Cadet Bone Spurs). First, he's been loudly anti-union in a very pro-union district. Within the long and fraught history of the steel and coal industries in the region, there has been an equally well-established and active union culture among regular working folks, and they don't care to risk losing that voice. Second, he paid little public heed to the opioid epidemic, which is devastating a generation of rural and Rust Belt citizens.
Even if the Democrat loses this race, it's clear that Trump and his cronies cannot automatically count on the support of voters like those in Westmoreland County. The times, thank God, may be a-changin'.
3 comments:
In solidarity Dawn. Wanna see Saccone go down in Westmoreland County, Rust Belt Central. I am heartened by this and by the recent WVa teachers' strike that resulted in a much needed 5% pay hike. They have gone Red in WVa but, like W Penna., union runs deep. I have said many times that I learned union in my high chair. That is visceral memory, and the same is true in coal and steel country.
Thank you for keeping it real.
I agree: the WVa teachers' strike was another clarion call from a region of this country that sorely needs hope. All praise to those brave citizens.
Lamb has declared victory, with 600 votes ahead of Saccone. Let's hope he really is the winner. I am so ready to see all of GOP out of office and the WH.
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