Early take on Justice vs. Salango

All the votes have now been counted from the West Virginia Primary Election over two weeks ago, and politics in our state will calm down for a few months. Be that as it may, here is a way-too-early take on the Governor’s race. There are two ways to look at Governor Jim Justice’s victory in

Study shows consumer spending bouncing back in WV

A state-by-state analysis finds that overall consumer spending in West Virginia has returned to pre-pandemic levels.  The analysis was done by the Harvard-based research group Opportunity Insights which looked at how consumers are behaving now compared with before the virus took hold. The research shows that total consumer spending this month in the state has

Bethany College bumps Byrd and misses the point

One of the offshoots of the Black Lives Matter movement is a rekindling of the debate about who should be venerated in our public spaces with statues and names on buildings, streets and institutions. This debate was inevitably going to lead to Robert C. Byrd, long-time Senator from West Virginia who died ten years ago

Observations during staycation on the pandemic

My staycation last week gave me an opportunity to see firsthand how we are doing on social distancing, good hygiene and mask wearing.  As you might expect, and as you may have seen for yourselves, the practices are varied. The few stores I went into—grocery store, big box store, a fast food restaurant—had practices in

Staycation

On staycation this week. See you next Monday!   Hop

GREY2K helped Karnes, getting involved in WV politics

Republican Robert Karnes took the first step this week in his attempt to return to the state Senate.  Karnes, who was defeated in the 2018 Republican Primary in the 11th Senatorial District, won nomination Tuesday by knocking off incumbent John Pitsenbarger 54 percent to 46 percent. Karnes will face Democratic former House of Delegates member

Teacher unions now throwing support behind more Republicans

One of the biggest stories of West Virginia’s Primary Election was Amy Nicole Grady’s defeat of Senate President Mitch Carmichael for the Republican nomination in the 4th Senatorial District (Jackson, Mason, Putnam and Roane Counties). So big, in fact, that it made the New York Times.  “The West Virginia Senate president who was dogged by

‘A republic, if you can keep it.’

The story goes that, at the conclusion of the Constitutional Convention of 1789, Benjamin Franklin was walking out of Independence Hall in Philadelphia when a woman shouted to him, “Well, Doctor, what have we got—a republic or a monarchy?” Franklin’s often quoted reply was, “A republic, if you can keep it.” It was an ominous

‘Defund the police’ movement has it all wrong

The controversy over the death of George Floyd at the hands of the police in Minneapolis has brought more attention to an idea that has been simmering in urban areas for years—defunding the police. Advocates say “defunding” means redirecting resources from arresting, prosecuting and jailing people to drug treatment, mental health, education, housing, and other

Families of veterans who died suspicious deaths at VA hospital continue their wait

A third lawsuit has been filed in connection with a series of suspicious deaths at the Louis A. Johnson Veterans Hospital in Clarksburg. Charleston Attorney Tony O’Dell filed the suit on behalf of family members of retired Navy Seaman John W. Hallman. The Korean War veteran was admitted to the VA hospital June 12, 2018

Governor Justice inserts foot in mouth

West Virginia’s Governor is famously unscripted. Jim Justice’s inclination to speak off-the-cuff often produces refreshingly candid insights into his thinking. The practice can also result in the state’s Chief Executive inserting his sizable foot in his mouth. Justice stepped away from his daily briefing Wednesday to take a call from President Trump.  “I wanted him

It is a good time to listen

This week on Talkline I have interviewed a couple of people I consider to be opinion leaders in the black community in West Virginia—former WVU Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, David Fryson, and Faith Baptist Church Pastor Matthew Watts. After the Fryson interview, I received this text: “OMG when you have this race

How do we sort out the George Floyd story?

I wish I had succinct and clear answers for you this morning about all things related to the death of George Floyd. Maybe some of you already see the events plainly, but perhaps there are those of you like me who are having difficulty sorting it all out. First, there is the death itself. A

Democrats continue to lose ground in WV

Democratic Party registration in West Virginia remains in swift decline. Consider these party registration numbers just released by the Secretary of State’s Office. There are 474,961 registered Democrats in West Virginia. That makes up 38.6 percent of the 1,229,520 total number of registered voters.  The Democratic party still has the most registered voters. However, their

What Trump can learn from Anne of Green Gables

I have been watching the Netflix series “Anne with an E,” an adaptation of Lucy Maud Montgomery’s classic book “Anne of Greene Gables,” and I have become a fan of Anne. Anne is intelligent, endlessly curious and able to find beauty and joy in elements of life that most of us would consider mundane. She

Primary Election turnout is anyone’s guess

One of the keys to elections is turnout; just how many voters are motivated to cast their ballot for their favorite candidate or candidates. Predicting turnout is tricky because of a variety of factors—level of interest in races, the weather on Election Day, candidates’ efforts to get out the vote. Often, historical trends have provided

Justice dodges debate

Somewhere in The Book of Campaigning it is written, “If you are ahead in the polls then avoid debates.  If you’re behind, push for them.” That makes perfect sense from a strategy standpoint.  A candidate who is ahead worries about losing ground, making a mistake, or putting a trailing opponent on equal footing.  The candidate

Historic court election in West Virginia

West Virginia’s 2020 Primary Election Day is two weeks from today.  Because of no-excuse absentee voting due to the pandemic, thousands of West Virginians have already voted.  Many more will take advantage of traditional early voting which starts tomorrow. All the options add up to what is expected to be a large turnout. Most of

Remembering the ultimate sacrifice

This holiday weekend, it is understandable that thoughts turn to the coming summer, the benefits of relaxation and the hope that with care and vigilance we will be able to put the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic behind us. We might not give a second thought to the notion that living in a free and

Unmasking the ‘mask’ argument

I have gotten myself into an argument with the “nevermaskers.” I have said on Talkline many times that I wear a mask, and others should too, when in a public area like the grocery store or the gas station.  Here’s why:  A) Health experts have suggested that we do.  B) The research shows a mask