Rand Paul calls coal 'one of the least favorable forms of energy'

[henster]

http://news.yahoo.com/in-2008--rand-paul-called-coal--the-least-favorable-forms-of-energy-164651153.html

This was from 2008 before he was elected but can't help in Appalachia in the primaries.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

By the time the Kentucky primary rolls around the nomination will already be decided. It is one of the last primaries in the cycle, IIRC.

People are really desperate to dig up dirt, aren't they?

[henster]

Not just Kentucky... West Virginia, Tennessee, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio any area with a sizable amount of coal workers.

[Rockefeller GOP]

It wouldn't hurt him in the primaries, but if he doesn't back track on that (which he will), it could hurt him in West Virginia vs. Hillary (but probably no other Democrat) in the general.

[bedstuy]

This is obviously true.  Republicans just avoid the issue and say "clean coal" because they're bought and sold by industry lobbyists.  Nobody actually thinks coal is a clean source of power. 

Getting mad at Rand Paul about this would require actually believing that coal is "clean."  I can't imagine anyone is really that brainwashed by Republican environmental propaganda. 

[Likely Voter]

One of those accidentally telling the truth kind of gaffes. It will be interesting to see if the 'war on coal' is an issue in the GOP primaries, especially following today's new EPA regulations. Polling shows that Americans want less coal and more of everything else, so I'm not sure if there is a lot of mileage to get out of going to the mat for de-regulating coal electricity production (outside of the big coal states). Will any of the candidates make it an issue that they plan to roll back or eliminate carbon regulation? (which mostly effects old coal electric plants).

[Bull Moose Base]

One of those accidentally telling the truth kind of gaffes. It will be interesting to see if the 'war on coal' is an issue in the GOP primaries, especially following today's new EPA regulations. Polling shows that Americans want less coal and more of everything else, so I'm not sure if there is a lot of mileage to get out of going to the mat for de-regulating coal electricity production (outside of the big coal states). Will any of the candidates make it an issue that they plan to roll back or eliminate carbon regulation? (which mostly effects old coal electric plants).

Yes but voters haven't been the real target audience of the GOP's show of climate science denialism. That audience is who Paul is probably much more worried about this quote alienating. What the voters think of it will only worry him if he ends up running for re-election. As for the GOP primary, the new polls might scare Republicans from too aggressively opposing the new EPA regulations, just as they're now scared of saying they want to repeal Obamacare. It'll also be interesting to see how many GOP 2016ers are willing to commit to full repeal.

[BaconBacon96]

That cannot help him in Appalachia.