ALMOST HEAVEN, WEST VIRGINIA

An old friend of mine recently moved from Vermont to West Virginia to be close to his grandchildren.  He says the people are friendly and there’s no better place to have a flat tire, because everyone will stop to offer help.  It’s a great place, apart from the politics.

But oh, the politics.  Democrat Senator Joe Manchin is up for re-election, and he’s thought to be vulnerable.  There’s a Republican primary on Tuesday, and a dark horse candidate is moving up fast – a fellow named Don Blankenship.  Blankenship is the former head of Massey Energy Company, and a convicted felon.

In 2014, Blankenship was indicted for Massey’s violation of mandatory federal mine safety and health standards in an accident in which 29 coal miners died.  Remarkably (because wealthy white men usually manage to avoid prison), Blankenship actually served a year in jail.  He avoided the worst of the charges, but his guilt must have been glaringly obvious because he had to do time. 

At any rate, Blankenship is now an ex-con, albeit one with plenty of money and political ambitions.  He’s running a largely issue-free campaign, relying on nativist attacks against “China people” and insulting prominent Republicans (“Cocaine Mitch McConnell”) to get headlines.    

The thing is, outside of West Virginia, Republicans are gung ho (as China people say) about restricting the voting rights of felons.  You might think that they’d find themselves in an awkward position if Blankenship wins the primary.  But for the GOP, cognitive dissonance is a feature, not a bug.  

For instance, here’s what Franklin Graham said about presidential adulterers: “The God of the Bible says that what one does in private does matter….  If he will lie to or mislead his wife and daughter, those with whom he is most intimate, what will prevent him from doing the same to the American public?” 

Of course, Graham said that about Bill Clinton in 1998.  Twenty years later, he’s willing to ignore compulsive adulterer Donald Trump’s much longer list of infidelities.  Apparently in Graham’s church, the Ten Commandments only apply to Democrats.

That's the key to understanding the rot at the heart of the contemporary Republican Party.  Their own sins don't matter much.  But if Democrats do the same thing?  Lock 'em up!