Don Blankenship in Survey of 2020 Presidential campaign websites

On Education: My school sang "God Bless America" on most mornings

I also remember that all 36 of us would line up outside the school most mornings to sing "God Bless America" and say the "Pledge of Allegiance."

Later, when I went to middle school/high school in Matewan, West Virginia, there were 700 students and 119 in my class. I remember being scared that I would get lost changing classes, but I never did. I managed to graduate second in my class. Although I didn't want to be, I was elected President of the student body--my first political experience.

On Energy & Oil: At Massey Coal , struggled against "greeniacs" and union

I retired in 2010 and have since spent much of my time managing my finances, enjoying my son's racing, and spending time with my best friend, Meiling.

On Principles & Values: Grew up poor, but didn't know it

As the saying goes, we were poor but didn't know it. We had an outhouse that was nicer than the one most of our neighbors had. We always had shoes. My mom was a McCoy, although not directly related to those who feuded with the Hatfield's in the hills of Kentucky where I was born.

My early years were occupied by baseball, pumping gasoline into coal miners' cars at our family gas station, and watching Gunsmoke, Andy Griffith, Bonanza, Wagon Train, and Rawhide--that is, after we got our first television when I was seven years old. The town I lived in most of my first 18 years was Delorme, West Virginia, population of 400 at the time--now maybe 200.