East Palestine, Ohio, was rocked by a toxic train crash on February 3, 2023. The city was plagued by environmental problems because the train’s cargo was vinyl chlorides. Local ponds have been contaminated and air quality tests have raised questions. Aid workers began to fall ill due to inadequate protective equipment, including gloves.
The Biden administration delayed its response to the disaster and ultimately sent failed Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to the area. But it became more of a photo opportunity showcasing secretary disaster gear that some derided as coming from Brooks Brothers. Biden never visited the city whose residents begged to be moved because of pollution. He’s finally coming because it’s an election year (via Fox News):
President Biden will travel to East Palestine, Ohio, in February to mark the one-year anniversary of a disastrous train derailment in that city, a White House official confirmed to Fox News Digital.
At the time of the incident, Biden was heavily criticized for never visiting the community in the weeks and months that followed. The official says Biden will discuss a “comprehensive, whole-of-government response” to ensure rail safety.
[…]
[Trent] Conaway [mayor of East Palestine] additionally said Fox, “The president is always welcome in our city,” adding, “with that being said, I don’t know what he would do here right now.”
In September, several other East Palestinians spoke out against Biden for not visiting the city. Local residents Courtney Miller, DJ Yokley and Jami Wallace spoke with “Fox & Friends” guest host Dr. Nicole Saphier about the struggles they have endured since the disaster, which released toxic chemicals and caused health and environmental problems.
Like his mind, Joe is too sluggish to realize that it is too slow to visit the area. But his administration’s thoughtless response to the disaster was likely intentional: East Palestine is unrepentant Trump country. However, at the time, Biden’s team probably thought re-election was within reach, not knowing that the economy would remain bleak, inflation at absurd levels, and the world on the brink of total war. Biden’s autopilot presidency has prompted key Democratic voting groups – Latinos, teenage people, labor unions and Blacks – to abandon him. If not, they won’t be thrilled with his re-election bid and would rather stay home. The Rust Belt will matter because Muslim voters are furious over Biden’s support for Israel. I think this man thinks he can be like his former boss, Obama, who ventured into deep red counties knowing he wouldn’t win. However, the dividend did not lose as much in these areas and did not show voters that you are willing to go beyond your unthreatening zones. Obama then exceeded the margins in the areas he needed, leading to two successful national elections.
By talking to voters in deeply Republican areas, Obama was able to win over 35 to 40 percent of white working-class voters, enough to seal the deal twice. Biden can’t do that because he lacks the political skills and mental acuity of his former boss.
There is no other reason why Biden is coming here now.
