Sanders unarguably espouses more intense anti-coal, anti-fossil fuel rhetoric than Clinton.

[Little Star]

If you know about West Virginia’s attitude toward coal, and you also know about Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-VT) attitude toward coal, then Tuesday night’s Democratic presidential primary results might have come as a bit of a surprise.

Sanders a staunch environmentalist pushing for more pollution regulations and a nationwide carbon tax — easily won West Virginia over his opponent Hillary Clinton on Tuesday. His win, some environmentalists said, was proof that you don’t have to be pro-coal to win in coal country.

Still, it was confusing. — just look at Clinton, who has been facing backlash and protests there since her infamous March quote: “We’re going to put a lot of coal miners and coal companies out of business.”

Sanders unarguably espouses more intense anti-coal, anti-fossil fuel rhetoric than Clinton. “To hell with the fossil fuel industry” is one of his more memorable quotes.

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2016/05/12/3777329/bernie-sanders-hillary-clinton-coal-country-west-virginia/

Coal clearly remains politically important to West Virginia voters yet they think Bernie is on their side

[JonLeibowitz]

1. Are you saying West Virginia voters are low information?

[A Little Weird]

2. The difference is the way they talk about the miners

Clinton says “We’re going to put a lot of coal miners and coal companies out of business.”

Bernie calls out McConnell on not supporting coal miner's pensions. He talks about re-investing in the coal communities. He doesn't pander and pretend their jobs will be staying but just that we should be committed to helping them move to something else.

Makes perfect sense to me why West Virginia and Kentucky's coal counties supported Bernie.

[boston bean]

3. Sanders candidacy is over. He knows it, his supporters know it.