Scoot over to Charles Pierce’s place and take a good, long look at the photograph of Mittens with some Ohio coal miners. This is a great photo. Look closely at the expressions on the miners’ faces. Look at their posture and their hands. Compare/contrast their work garb with Mittens’s white white white shirt. Look at the discomfort written on Mitt’s face.
I say we’re looking at some working-class men who are not wild about Mittens. I wonder if the photo was taken before or after Mitt addressed the miners and called the mine owner a “great boss.”
I grew up around miners; in the world of mining, there is no such thing as a “great boss.” There are tolerable bosses; there are bosses the mine workers may be ambivalent about; yes. Those are the “good” bosses. But no miner ever born has gushed with love for the guy who signs his paycheck.
And there’s this —
“His vice-president,” Romney told the miners, “said that coal kills more people than terrorists. Can you imagine that?”
Leaving out 2011, which was an exceptional year for terrorism — from 2002 to 2011, 306 American coal miners were killed on the job. That’s an average of 34 coal miners a year. How many American civilians were killed by terrorists in those years?
Miners know about those mine deaths. So, yeah, I think they can imagine that.
And did you know black lung disease is making a comeback? I can’t find data on how many coal miners are dying from black lung lately, just that it’s showing up more often in younger miners. But this NPR report says that since 1970, “black lung contributed to the deaths of more than 70,000 miners.” So that beats 9/11 pretty handily.
The boss of these particular coal miners is named Robert Murray. Peg McCentee writes for the Salt Lake City Tribune:
Maybe Romney was too busy running for president in 2007 to notice that Murray’s Crandall Canyon coal mine collapsed twice in 2007, killing six miners and three would-be rescuers. Or that Murray claimed an earthquake caused the first failure even when seismologists determined it did not.
Or that the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration issued a report a year later finding that Genwal Resources, a Murray Energy Corp. subsidiary, was operating under three findings of high “negligence” in three of its Crandall mining plan elements and with “reckless disregard” in three others.
Perhaps it also did not come to the candidate’s attention that earlier this year an outraged federal judge fined Genwal just $500,000 for the disaster — all that the law would allow.
The victims’ families were devastated.
Murray’s behavior during the Crandall Canyon recovery effort bewildered many observers and family members: he bragged about his private jet, yelled at those families and decried the notion of global climate change.
Murray is a big Romney supporter, and I take it he and Romney traveled together from a fundraiser in West Virginia to tour Murray’s Century mine in Ohio. There’s where he told the Century miners that Murray is a “great boss.” I’m sure those fellas know exactly what sort of boss Murray is.
Then Romney used the same group of miners as a prop, standing in front of them to deliver a speech about how President Obama’s energy policies are costing jobs, although I can’t find any data to indicate that is true. The numbers on coal mine employment I could find were not recent enough to know if there is any significant change in coal mine employment numbers during the Obama Administration. The coal mining industry doesn’t employ nearly as many people as it did 20 and more years ago, but that’s mostly because of changes in mining technology and making the miners work longer hours (one reason black lung is on the rise).
But just look at the miners in this photo, while Mittens was speaking. Be sure to click on the photo to enlarge it. See the body language, the posture, the folded arms, the frowns. Folded arms don’t always signify resistance or defiance, but folded arms with sullen expressions tells me that whatever Mittens is selling, they ain’t buying.
Respectfully, I think some of those folded arms are “don’t you (expletive) *try* to shake my hand!”
It’s just a guess, but it seems the guys are space-protective.
Those men in the Beallsville photo look like they were ordered at gunpoint to stand behind Mittens.
Hey Mitt, tell the family members of the Utah mine victims what a great boss Mr. Murray is. What? Can’t hear ya.
Don’t they, though?
The guy to the far right looks like he wants to take Mitt down in the mine with him. Yeah, if miners died in the mine because of the mine owner, they won’t like the guy. Seriously, Mitt looks out of place with almost anyone, unless they’re from his 1%. These are also union guys I would guess as well. No chance many of them are Mittens supporters. Even if they are Republican, there’s nothing in Mitt that shows he knows what they go through everyday.
Mitt is pretty much an image of everything that is seriously wrong with American: NO principals; no sense of social responsibility; no empathy; great wealth without ANY discernable talent or accomplishment– the ultimate “empty suit”. At least Bachmann could claim mental illness. Cain could claim poor early education or something. Gingrich, with all his faults, was entertaining. The only thing Mitt has keep him afloat is Citizen’s United. And I hope to the Sky Fairy that all the money in the world won’t elect this dope.
A sensible energy policy would create tons of jobs. Along with everything you mentioned, it’s an insult to the miners’ intelligence to suggest that it’s never occurred to any of them that there’s no long-term future in coal. I don’t know a lot of miners myself, but I can’t imagine they’re all global warming denialists. Some of them must have enough contact with reality to be anxious about their jobs because they know the industry’s days are numbered. They might be numbered in decades, but not that many decades. Wouldn’t it be great if we could find a way to put people to work developing the alternative energies we’re going to need anyway?
With his button-down, pressed, white Oxford shirt, with crisply folded cuffs on his long sleeves, and wearing his Mom-jeans, Mitt must think it’s “Casual Friday” at the coal mine.
I’m sorry, but where’s the MSM?
This is as openly mockable as Dukakis in a tank.
These photo’s are like something Dickens would have put in one of his books, to make a rich and pompous figure seem rediculous:’
‘Lord Percy Flauntitalot, the 22nd Duke of Earl-earl-earl, pictured here, liked to walk among the workers in his mine, wearing his crisp linen shirt and American work trousers, instead of his usual pampered business attire, to ask his minions questions of the rabbles labors, and how to mazimize them, all the while believing he was incognito.
He was hardly incognito to the workers, who, when they left their shift after a hard days labor, headed to the nearest thirst-quenching establishment, and drank toasts to the horrible and painful death’s of Lord Percy and his family, with the first shouting, ‘Eer’s to a mine shaft collapsin’ undah the Govna’s mansion, and ‘is ‘ole family sinkin’ in the ‘ole with ‘im, only to ‘ave the mine explode and blow ’em all as close to ‘Eaven as ‘ey’ll ever get!!!” And this, the mildest curse since it was the first, was followed by shouts of “‘ERE,’ ERE!!!” And the next dram called for someone to top the last fellows curse. Until the deaths became as delirious as the workers themselves, and they shuffled or stumbled their way home, their curses at Lord Percy the sole relief of the day, especially now that they were expecting a cast iron skillet welcome from their sober Missus’
This is a FECKIN’ COAL MINE, Mitt!
These are COAL MINERS.
They work hard for a living.
I’m not saying that they should have outfitted Mitt like some coal miner – that would have been even more rediculous.
But, what, Mitt doesn’t own any flannel shirts, or those faded old blue jean shirts?
Maybe Dolce & Gabbana can have some tailor-made.
OR BUY SOME!
Lord, what a fool!
People often fold their arms to protect themselves.
cund mentions the MSM. I remember a rash of movies in the ’30’s depicting the existence (not life, they had none) of the coal miner. Zola, the French novelist, wrote of their lives of pain and suffering and hardship. Very powerful.
Speaking of the feckless MSM and the ‘entertainment’ industry in general, reminds me of Steinbeck’s ‘Grapes of Wrath’ movie in the ’30’s depicting the hardship, pain and suffering of America’s displaced poor during the Depression.
Maybe the powers-that-be have finally caught on that words and pictures do far more to move a people to rise in revolt? May explain why there seems to be a dearth of them coming from the media?
I wonder how many reporters and political hacks actually see the miners at all, at least as people and not “types.” I doubt the reporters present bothered to ask any of the miners if they thought Bob Murray really is a great boss, for example, or how they felt about being paraded in front of national media with coal dust on their faces. Or even if they had volunteered to be on the stage with Romney, or if the foreman just ordered them to go. I really want to know that. I don’t care what Romney said; that’s all bullshit. Tell me something real.
maha,
Here’s what I think might have happened:
Murray to the miners, “Good news today, boys.
No, no raises!
You get to spend your lunch hour with the next President of the United States, being the backdrop for a photo-op and his speach!
What?
HELL NO, I ain’t payin’ ya fer lunch!
If you go, you get to keep your jobs!
NO – you can’t bring your lunch with you!
You can eat it on your next government-mandated 10 minute break, you lazy turds.”
The second photo gives me the impression that it might be risky for Mittens to turn his back on them. Lucky the cameras were running.
I guess if I got paid the same I would probably rather listen to Mitt’s speech than sweat in a coal mine, but it’s a pretty close call. I hope they got a bonus for being the window dressing.
I wonder how many reporters and political hacks actually see the miners at all, at least as people
I got the feeling the miners were positioned merely as props, devoid of real meaning, just like that big-ass flag beside Mittens.
This could be Mitt’s “tool-belt” moment, when working stiffs turn on him like they did on Bush, post-Katrina.
The miners: Aw, come on hurry and shut up… I/we wanna get back to the coffee break you took me from. I/we don’t get much time for a break and most of it vanishes in the ride to the surface… shut the f**k up, already will ya.
Somewhat OT but I have to share the laugh. Our local ABC affiliate posted a “Fan Photo of the Day” of a small boy named Turner, posing with Newt Gingrich. The submitter of the photo provided this caption: TURNER AND NEWT GINGRICH DURING A VISIT TO DISNEY WORLD IN 2007. HE SIGNED TURNER’S DISNEY AUTOGRAPH BOOK, RIGHT NEXT TO DUMBO.
“Right next to Dumbo”! I love subtle jabs.
Check this out
BTW, I think people stand like that when alpha male is in the room. Alpha may be Romney, may be the boss out of the picture, but they are definitely protecting their private parts.
The miners around us – three companies, Arch Coal, Gunnison Energy and Bowie (?) are going to vote Romney. Right now, Oxbow miners, owned by one of the Kock, are running around, telling everyone to bow to the plantation owners.
Though I have read a couple of times that mining is up 15% in employment during the Obama presidency, the comments of all the miners I have happened upon (admittedly few) have been that he is destroying their industry. I think they might be low information voters in their own way. Certainly the notion that the rest of us should suffocate for their income is not an easy sell, and they have to know it. Of course, other countries (China) are upping low-quality coal production and use, so our efforts may seem to be wasted unless we suddenly find the “clean unicoal” with its horn of plenty of energy with fewer emissions. Wouldn’t it ge pretty if it turned out to be pink?
In the amount of time I had to look, I couldn’t find any data on mining employment more recent than 2007.
The body language reminded me of that photo from the NAACP convention Mitt attended some weeks ago. I am pretty sure they’re looking at Mitt with the word “management” in their minds (with all that that implies), and probably other ones much less flattering or printable.
Bill B – I suspect you are right. These guys are more concerned about getting a paycheck than some lofty concern about global warming. And that is what Mitt is trying to play to.
Coal consumption has gone down significantly in the past year, but it has nothing to do with renewable energy policy. Hydraulic fracturing has made natural gas cheap and plentiful, and it is replacing coal at many of our nation’s power plants. It’s the “creative destruction” of the free market that the 1% is always lauding, but they will tell the unemployed coal miners that Obama’s policies are to blame.
Mittten’s is wearing his Iowa primary jeans.. That clown is worth over 300 million bucks, and he wears a pair of jeans that are frayed at the hem…Doesn’t his wife look him over to see that he’s dressed presentably? Unless the frayed jeans are supposed to subtly convey a bond with the working man
The body language on those miners says that Mitt needs to break the ice and let them know he’s one of the boys..maybe he could tell the story of how he and a few of his buddies wrestled some fag to the ground and Mitt gave the little sissy a “Haircut”.
What’s missing? In the first picture – at the Pierce blog, Mitt is making his entry. The props – I mean, miners, are expected to be energized and enthusiastic. They should be reaching out eagerly to shake Mitt’s hand. (as LHW pointed out in the first comment) They aren’t. Mitt knows he’s got a hostile set of props – thus the plastic smile – and the pained expression of a prince who has been deliberately snubbed by the peasants – Again – and in front of the cameras.
Will some blogger start collecting these pics. Moonbat mentioned the NAACP pics – some are priceless. Romney is sure to try to get more of these moments with the ‘little people’ pictures that backfire. I think an album of distinctly repulsed voters who are witnesses to the Romney charm might be spliced to together for a November ad captioned “How the Little People React to Mitt”.
There’s no generic miner. They are guys in a dangerous line of work trying to provide for their families. They know that a cave-in or black lung might get them – but Wal-Mart won’t pay them what the mines will.
Strictly an opinion – miners know how their boss (depending on the outfit they are with) will hot-wire over safety shut-off devices and play games with safety to cut costs. The miners know that things would be safer if the owner played by the rules. These guys may also know that coal could be cleaner – if the users would invest in the technology that scrubs the emissions. Like the mine owners, power companies play games with the EPA and with public opinion – and stay with cheap dirty equipment. I think miners know the score – in the mines and with the big users of the coal they dig. The big operators are out to make money – and screw the guy at the bottom. Consumer or miner.
Nobody really mentions too much that more than anything else cheap NATURAL GAS is killing off coal. Why is it some people will scream about the free market prevailing until it gets in the way of one of their talking points – then it becomes the fault of some tree hugging liberal socialist plot.
@ Ordinary Jill – Never Mind
Wow, what a photo. You can almost see the Romney thought balloon with “You’re not going to hit me, are you?” inside it.
I heard a clip of Romney on the radio, in opposition to Obama’s emphasis on renewable energy sources, saying something about us have 250 years worth of coal in this country, and why in the world wouldn’t we want to use it. And I thought, well, because it’s dirty, and burning it adds to global warming and acid rain? And mining it kills people every year, and sickens and injures many others, and mostly leaves families struggling economically while fat-cat mine owners treat them as a disposable commodity? Assuming it isn’t just strip-mined, which destroys whole mountains and valleys and generates nightmare hell-scapes of ecologically dead terrain?
I mean, sure you can make an argument for not eliminating coal from the mix, but trying to make it sound like it has no obvious drawbacks? Sheesh, Mitt. We demand a higher grade of BS from our Presidential candidates.
As ordinary Jill and Bob K have pointed out, NG is cheap and abundant.
The fracking operation creates problems and gets bad press, but not the bad press coal mining gets when groups of miners are trapped and dying beneath the ground; or the bad press surrounding “mountain top removal” coal mining operations.
At any rate, I find it repulsive when politicians use certain groups of people as back drops for their agendas. I think Dubya was the first to do so, and the trend continues.
Here in Florida, we have the phosphate industry. There are vast tracts of land in Hillsborough, Polk, and Manatee Counties ( in particular) that are virtual moonscapes due to strip mining. Most are well hidden with large earthen berms, and to their credit,many mining companies have done mitigation and restoration. We have had a number of accidents, such as the poisioning of waterways with phosphoric acid, sink holes opening up, and an increase of backround radiation ( small amounts of uranium “yellow cake” are associated with phosphate operations).
At any rate, the stuff big business and governments do and get away with on a daily basis would land an ordinary person in jail for life.
Link to YouTube 19 minutes worth of Mitt video flip-flops.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_pgfWK3sxw&feature=youtube_gdata_player
It would be fun to go to computer stores and put this on all the demo machines!
“The fracking operation creates problems and gets bad press, but not the bad press coal mining gets when groups of miners are trapped and dying beneath the ground; or the bad press surrounding “mountain top removal†coal mining operations.”
I think Fracking could be made to be MUCH more eco-friendly, but “regulation” is a four letter word– don’t expect squat from THIS Congress. The biggest issue with fracking is that they use unregulated, undisclosed, KNOWN to be carcinogenic chemicals to loosen the gas. That, and they often cut corners on lining the drill shafts, letting the gas bubble up into the water table.
Well. Here you are:
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/08/28/coal-miners-say-they-were-forced-to-attend-romney-event-and-donate/
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