Well, so much for the "can't get the lunch-bucket crowd vote" meme.
United Mine Workers Union Backs Obama
Falling in behind the man who looks increasingly like the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, the United Mine Workers of America endorsed Barack Obama for president today. The endorsement followed a unanimous vote to throw support his way by the union's National Council of the Coal Miners' Political Action Committee.
Coming the day after the Kentucky primary, which Hillary Clinton won overwhelmingly, and a week after the primary in West Virginia, a coal state also won decisively by Clinton, the endorsement signals a continued consolidation of Democratic-leaning independent group support behind Obama but will have little impact on the small number of remaining voting states or the course of the primary.
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The UMWA had previously endorsed John Edwards for president last Labor Day, the same day the United Steelworkers cast their lot with Edwards. After Edwards's endorsement of Obama, the Steelworkers endorsed him, too, citing Edwards's influence.
It might have been nice had this come out before WV and KY, but this is less aimed at the primaries as it is at the general. A combination of the union endorsement (and the accompanying boots on the ground action) along with campaigning in these states could make a difference not only in the Presidential race, by forcing McCain to spend more resources that he'd rather spend elsewhere, but also helping our down ticket races especially the efforts to unseat Mitch McConnell in KY.
I'm not going to go out on a limb and say that we're going to win Appalachia, but this endorsement can only help our chances there. And though I woud've rather seen a few more superdelegates come out of the woodwork today and make their preferences known, I'll take this as a plus for Obama.
Additional link: AP