Discussion: Blankenship Says He'll Run Third-Party In West Virginia Senate Race

rb639 · May 21, 2018, 2:44pm

Why should Manchin make it his business to get in the middle of an internecine dispute among primary contestants in a different political party? Do people try to construct logical arguments or do they just automatically assume that any choice by the Democrat is a sign of weakness? I mean, what a seriously stupid thing to think.

mrf · May 21, 2018, 2:49pm

Blankenship said “My First, Second, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Eighth Amendment rights were violated when I was falsely charged and politically imprisoned”.
I suppose his Third Amendment right to quarter soldiers was safe.

epicurus · May 21, 2018, 2:52pm

The ex-con former coal baron announced Monday morning that he plans to run as the Constitution Party’s nominee for Senate, a move that could damage his former party’s chances at defeating Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) if he’s able to actually get on the ballot.

I fail to see the down side of this.

tsp · May 21, 2018, 3:06pm

“It is especially appropriate for me to be nominated by the Constitution Party given its staunch and uncompromising commitment to upholding the United States Constitution. My First, Second, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Eighth Amendment rights were violated when I was falsely charged and politically imprisoned following the unfortunate mining accident at Upper Big Branch — a tragedy wholly caused by the actions of the establishment and the federal government,” Blankenship claimed in a statement.

I’m glad he said this. For a moment there, when i started reading that paragraph, i thought he was going through each one of his former wives who still supported his political ambitions. “My first, second, fourth, fifth, sixth, and eighth wives…”

callmeeric · May 21, 2018, 3:16pm

rascal_crone · May 21, 2018, 3:27pm

It must be freeing to be this shameless. I almost envy him.

ottnott · May 21, 2018, 3:34pm

Please, B’rer Fox, please don’t throw us into that briar patch.

jinnj · May 21, 2018, 3:38pm

Blankenship is only a bag of wind - seriously doubt that he will make a sustained effort -

best case - he hangs in there long enough with endless wild-ass assaults on the GOP & Patrick Morrisey - enough to obliterate their chances

worst case - some sort of strange Maine-like dementia ending up with:

Blankenship - 34%
Manchin - 32%
Morrisey - 31%
other - - - 3%

tsp · May 21, 2018, 3:41pm

I think you’re on to something. Loyalty to the Leader has replaced every ounce of shame these swamp creatures ever had.

jinnj · May 21, 2018, 3:48pm

Clearly this is an urgent situation - Blankenship’s ego desperately needs sustenance - it needs to be fed - mass quantities of attention & rapidly …

jootjoint · May 21, 2018, 3:54pm

Oh this is great news for West Virginia!

Blankenship is not giving up on becoming West Virginia’s next governor!!!

srfromgr · May 21, 2018, 4:10pm

They have a Sore Loser Law in W. VA. so this will be litigated first before he’s allowed to be on the ballot. Blankenship knows this and is bucking for a fight.

midnight_rambler · May 21, 2018, 4:28pm

Well, that statement by Manchin did come off pretty weird. He dodged all around to avoid saying anything about how running a chronically dangerous company and eventually killing 29 people is bad, and basically said Blankenship is a decent guy.

neal_anderthal · May 21, 2018, 4:52pm

This is what I was hoping Putin’s Bitch would do! Alas, it didn’t happen.

Is it possible to run in every senate race throughout the nation?

Blankensh*t would make a fine senator from a dozen states I can think of!!

Mad at the Яepublikan party for being liberals? Run third party and teach them a lesson!

scruffy76 · May 21, 2018, 6:51pm

Depending of the actual wording of the law, what if he didn’t “switch parties,” just ran as the Constitution Party’s candidate while still calling himself a Repug?

ncsteve · May 21, 2018, 7:35pm

Second? I guess because they don’t let you have guns in prison?

remy · May 21, 2018, 8:15pm

Please someone enlighten me! If WV is so darn red, why is it that in 2016 Sanders beat HRC pretty badly in the primary and this year Mnachin beat a progressive candidate without a problem. It just doesn’t make sense. And Sandernistas are convinced that Sanders would have won had he been the democrats candidate in general election. Am I going crazy?

swampsofjersey · May 22, 2018, 5:24pm

The reason in West Virginia is that there are a lot of old conservative farts who never changed their party registration (most of the rest of the US has long since realigned). So they all voted for “Sanders” with no idea who Bernie was, except that he wasn’t named “Hillary Clinton,” once they realized Trump wasn’t on the ballot.