West Virginia Governor to Switch from Democrat to Republican

[brooklynite]

Source: New York Times

WASHINGTON — Gov. Jim Justice of West Virginia, a Democrat who was elected last year even as President Trump carried the state by 42 points, is expected to announce Thursday night at a rally with Mr. Trump that he is changing parties, according to three sources familiar with the plans.

Speaking to reporters in the White House Thursday, Mr. Trump promised “a very big announcement” at a gathering in Huntington, W.V., that is expected to draw thousands of supporters from across Appalachia, a region that gave Mr. Trump some of the largest margins of his election.

Mr. Justice, a billionaire coal and real estate magnate, ran as a conservative Democrat and declined to endorse Hillary Clinton in 2016. But even as West Virginia has become a reliable Republican state in presidential elections and further down the ballot, a handful of Democrats have still been able to win office.

Mr. Justice, though, is said to have friendly relationships with some members of Mr. Trump’s family. And before entering politics he gave money to officeholders in both parties while variously registering as a Republican, Democrat and independent.

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/03/us/politics/west-virginia-governor-to-switch-from-democrat-to-republican-trump.html?_r=0

[byronius]

1. Perhaps they can share a cell together.

[Warpy]

10. Yeah, dug into a coal seam

That's what this is about. He really thinks that moron in DC is going to be able to switch this country back to coal as a basic fuel.

Too bad there are so many of us still alive who remember how foul the air was the last time we tried that.

[Eliot Rosewater]

2. Do the Koch's have enough now?

They are on record for having a constitutional convention, to change the country in ways that would be unrecognizable, does this do it for them?

Jim Justice can go down as a primary contributor to the end of America.

[lunasun]

3. Getting closer all the time

I believe in IL we may get our govenor seat back to Dem , and that is may, but the trending is republican . Not too many more needed

[Eliot Rosewater]

7. This guy in W VA is trying to help trump commit treason, remarkable.

[George II]

4. Don't let the top of the "paddy wagon" door frame hit you in the head.

[Aristus]

5. "Wind today from due west, blowing intermittently at 5-7mph.

Orientation will likely shift with the next change in the wind.

Back to you, Tom..."

[Jimbo101]

6. He's only been a Democrat for a couple of years - was Republican

before that. - no great loss


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Justice

[BigmanPigman]

16. Sounds like he changes parties as much as @IMPOTUS does.

[Mc Mike]

24. And he got Dems' e-mail addresses while he was a "Dem",

he must have sent me 50 fundraising reqs since he got in.

I'm glad for the heads up, now I can shuffle Jim over to the spam in box.

[Jake Stern]

8. A more accurate headline would say he's RETURNING to the Republican Party

The NYT headline makes it sound like he was a lifelong DEM who is defecting instead of a political opportunist who changes parties depending on which way the wind blows.

[Me.]

9. So Out The Window Goes

the great conservadem argument.

[Jake Stern]

19. Now we'll see how long it takes Ol' Joe to either "retire" or defect. Nt

[Me.]

26. !

[msongs]

11. how many white sheets will they need for the rally? tablecloths of course nt

[hatrack]

12. Oh look! An old, fat, rich white guy decided he's a Republican!

Wow, Don, BIG announcement!

Hope some of the local milk people are able to attend.

[Dawson Leery]

13. Fuck that state and fuck them about their opioid crisis.

Let natural law take care of it.

[ileus]

23. Preach it my brother!

Better dead than red doesn't mean what it used to.

[More_Cowbell]

14. Trump won't be happy that his big announcement was leaked

Nice.

[procon]

15. After today's announcement, he might want to rethink that decision. nt

[Boomer]

17. That son-of-a-bitch

I held my nose and voted for him, because better a Democrat than a Republican. I won't make that mistake again.

[leon8822]

34. Thats the problem with Blue Dog democrats you never know if they have the

Possibility to switch parties.To be honest I don't know why it's allowed while a person is sitting in office.

[Doug the Dem]

18. Joe Manchin Next?

Wouldn't surprise me!

[Jake Stern]

20. This just might give him the cover he needs

Keep your eyes peeled for his "The Democratic Party has gone too far left and no longer represents West Virginians nor my beliefs. . . . . " announcement

[LiberalLovinLug]

21. But but but we have to run a DINO or we'd lose!

Meanwhile:

Poll: Sanders leads by 8 points in West Virginia

http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/278567-poll-sanders-leads-in-west-virginia

[geek tragedy]

28. primary poll, not general election, nt

[LiberalLovinLug]

33. Yes yes, I thought someone would point that out

I didn't think I needed to expand.

The fact that he was that far ahead of Hillary there, is because of strong independent's support. Yes, this SOCIALIST had support from Democrats AND moderate independents. The problem with the slow moving, paralyzed establishment Dem DNC is that they disregard the power of the 'big idea' changing the zietgiest. Some are so sick of Dems always playing it safe and are just waiting for some bold new platform such as Bernies and the progressive wing's.

The idea that you run a Republican just so you can say na na na na na...we won! makes no sense and shows you are weak in the belief of your own party.

[geek tragedy]

35. Hillary beat Obama there by 50 points in 2008.

A large portion of WV "Democratic" primary voters are GOP ratfuckers looking for an excuse to vote against the nominee.

http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/279430-nearly-half-of-sanders-voters-in-west-virginia-would-vote

There's a reason why Joe Manchin is, sadly, the very best that state has to offer.

[ileus]

22. This just means we'll crush him even worse...he's not very

popular with the people of WV right now.

[bora13]

25. the reason trump

loves coal so much is because stephen miller told him that you could squeeze the shit out of it and make oil,
nazi style.

[Equinox Moon]

27. Seems to me any and all dems that donated to his campaign should be refunded!

The worst part is "the people" who trusted he was a dem and voted him in.

YUK! YUK! YUK!

[crazycatlady]

31. If you donated to him recently

Dispute it with your credit card company

[VermontKevin]

29. They can have him.

[still_one]

30. I think that folks who believe that West Virginia today will align themselves to a progressive

candidate, are deluding themselves.

That may change one day, but it sure isn't in the cards now, and it won't happen until the racist attitudes of the state change

[wellst0nev0ter]

32. This is what happens when we open up our tent to Repuke-lite

when will we ever learn?

[Blue Idaho]

36. He's not a Democrat or a republican - he's a multi-millionaire.

He worships the almighty dollar and so any way the wind blows - that's where you'll find Jimbo.

[razorman03038]

37. If he wants to switch parties, that's fine. But, there is a proper way to do it.

People change and the political parties change. I can completely understand someone no longer feeling at home in their traditional party. Years ago, there was a politician (I forget who it was or which party he switched to/from), who changed his party affiliation. However, he resigned his post, and then ran again with his new party. As I recall, he was re-elected. This at least gave his constituents the choice about whether they wanted him to stay in, considering his switch. That is the way it should be done. Perhaps someone out there can remind me who that was.

[dalton99a]

38. "I can't help you anymore being a DEMOCRAT governor"

A Rush Limbaugh fan, obviously

[mainer]

39. He's in debt to RUSSIA!!

“To that end, the Democratic nominee is Jim Justice, who is the billionaire owner of the Greenbrier Resort — the place of presidents and the summer home of the New Orleans Saints. He’s also the owner of coal mines he sold to the Russians five years ago for nearly $600 million but which he has recently bought back for $5 million. Coal prices were $300 a ton in 2011 and the benchmark is $92 a ton now, which is obviously a reflection of a lower demand for coal both nationally and worldwide.”

Let’s recap: Justice sold his coal mines to Russia for nearly $600 million and bought them back for only $5 million. He’s clearly indebted to Russia. If you don’t see this, then we have a bridge we’d like to sell you.

http://newcenturytimes.com/2017/08/03/wv-governor-is-in-debt-to-russia-and-its-as-crazy-as-you-think/