Barr's national speech fires up coal country, allows him to criticize Obama and ignore Chandler

TAMPA — While other congressional candidates who took the Republican National Convention stage Tuesday talked about their opponents, Republican 6th Congressional District candidate Andy Barr focused on coal.

The emphasis on the coal industry, which has shed thousands of Kentucky jobs this year, allowed Barr to criticize President Barack Obama — much to the delight of many of the GOP delegates — and highlight the issue of jobs, which remains at the top of most voters’ lists.

Barr never referenced Democratic Congressman Ben Chandler, who narrowly beat Barr in one of the closest congressional races in the country two years ago.

“This isn’t about politics,” Barr said immediately after his two minute speech. He said it’s about policies that will keep Kentuckians employed, whether it’s cheap energy costs for auto manufacturers or miners themselves, like the one he featured in his national speech.

The centerpiece of Barr’s speech was talking about Chris Woods, a Kentucky miner who has an hour-long commute to his job to support his wife, children and two sets of parents.

Barr said Woods told him he didn’t care much for politics but that if Barr could save his job, he’d be for him.

“Chris, I care about your job. Mitt Romney cares about your job. And together, we’re going to fight to save your job,” Barr said in the conclusion of his speech.

Here’s the video of Barr speaking on CSPAN :

The end of Barr’s speech prompted loud cheers from the Kentucky delegation, as well as some strong applause from other corners of the convention floor, including the West Virginia and Wyoming delegates.

Upon his return to the Kentucky delegation after speaking, Barr was greeted with high-fives and hand-shakes.

K.C. Crosbie, the Lexington councilwoman serving her first time as a delegate, said Barr “knocked it out of the park.”

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