An editorial from The Inter-Mountain
ELKINS, W.Va. — It may be that no state will give presidential candidate Donald Trump as much election-day support as West Virginia. Mountain State residents understand Hillary Clinton would, if elected, be devastating for us.
Some voters will be concerned enough about Trump’s personality to conclude they cannot cast their ballots for him, however.
That does not mean they have to vote for Clinton. They should not.
What they should do is use their ballots to help hold her in check if she becomes president.
Solely because of one facet of Clinton’s radicalism, her plan to accelerate the government’s assault on coal, natural gas and oil, she is not an option for residents of our state.
Many Mountain State residents know no one working in the coal industry. Why, some may wonder, should they care about it?
There are two very good reasons: First, our state government’s budget and West Virginia’s entire economy is based on the energy industry. Destroying it wrecks our state — all of it.
Second, closing down the coal-fired power plants we rely on for affordable electricity will drive utility bills up.
Clinton as president would mean more assaults on individual rights such as the Second Amendment and personal property rights. Can any Mountain State resident forget the Obama administration’s attempt to drive Hardy County chicken farmer Lois Alt out of business?
Clinton would mean more Obamacare, higher taxes, a White House not to be believed on anything, a foreign policy tilted toward our enemies, a liberal Supreme Court working hand in hand with her and more national debt.
But those who cannot bring themselves to back Trump and know they cannot vote for Clinton may wonder why they should go to the polls at all on Nov. 8.
They must.
Should Clinton win the presidency, it is imperative she be restrained by a strongly Republican Congress.
Neither West Virginia senator is up for re-election this year. All members of the House of Representatives are on the ballot, however. Returning them to Congress is essential.
Clearly, the only means West Virginians have of defending ourselves against a Clinton presidency is voting solely for Republicans in the House.
Only a GOP Congress repulsed by Clinton’s agenda, including her plan to “put a lot of coal miners and coal companies out of business,” can stop her if she is elected.
