re: Why did West Virginia elect a Democrat for US Senate

Manchin was Governor before the Senate. Used to be heavily unionized mining country. Manchin is a relic Blue Dog.

he was governor before senator.
that must have had a lot to do with it. hes apparently deep in coal money based on his pronouncements. so coal backed him.
maybe his opponent tripped on his dick.

Easier to do on the state level as the Dems left it to the locals. But on the federal level, you can bet they will win at all costs.

Breshear defeated the incumbent Republican governor.

WVa is a coal state and very much a UMW union state in that regard. Despite the fact that unions do very little these days for employees, the belief remains that Democrats, being pro-union, are pro-little guy. The truth is that Democrats are pro-union because they get lots of cash from union bosses, who in turn demand political favors for that cash.

The people of WVa have genuinely conservative values, but because of the prevalence and preeminence of coal mining, Democrats still have a strangle hold on the state. (Kentucky has only recently moved beyond this point, and still teeters on falling back into it.)

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He’s an old blue dog dem.

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Just like how LA votes for a Democrat every once and awhile.

There are enough older generation voters who will vote anything Democrat. Even an empty suit.

So if you get enough Republicans and independents to sway your way you win.

Then people call you a blue dog if you vocalize conservative values and ideas. You don’t have to vote that way, and most of them that are elected turn out to be lap dogs like Charlie Melancon and Mary Landrieu and vote with the Dems.