Upcoming contests: WV uphill

Posted: Friday, May 09, 2008 9:28 AM by Domenico Montanaro
Filed Under: Democrats

UPCOMING CONTESTS: WV uphill for Obama
USA Today previews the West Virginia primary and notes the uphill battle for Obama there. "In West Virginia, Gov. Joe Manchin says ‘you drive to survive’ and the gas price spike has hit particularly hard. ‘It's hard to drive from here to Huntington when gas is $4 a gallon and you're getting paid minimum wage,’ says Wayne Mayor Junior Ramey.”

“This state of small towns is home to the gun-owning, church-going, financially struggling voters whom Hillary Rodham Clinton is targeting Tuesday. She says Obama alienated them with his remark before the Pennsylvania primary last month about ‘bitter’ dislocated workers in small towns ‘clinging’ to guns and religion." More: "Demanding that a presidential entourage make it up the tricky switchback roads that lead to this town of 1,144 isn't as farfetched as it seems. No Democrat has won the White House without winning West Virginia since 1916, and at least one made it to Wayne."

"Clinton has been running well ahead of Obama in several West Virginia polls. The state's older, mostly white and blue-collar population hits the dynamics of Clinton supporters. Pat Maroney, a former state Democratic Party chairman and the party's national committeeman, said victory for Clinton is still possible. ‘Yes, I think she probably can [still win]," he said at the morning rally. "[The extended presidential battle] has been good for the country and the state to have this kind of dialogue.’”

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Comments

It is so awful how Clinton and her husband have been dividing this country with their race baiting garbage. But the other side of that coin is that I can't believe the American people are that stupid to follow them. Just like when George Bush won (well, got all those votes anyway) and the world around us said, "How can 52 million people be so stupid?"

RuthieM (Sent Friday, May 09, 2008 11:21 AM)

Hillary the panderer has arrived in WV, why does the white uneducated migrate towards Hillary? I'd feel offended If I were cast as uneducated white trash voting for Hillary the Yale graduate that can finance her own campaign much like Mitt Romney. Hillary's (McCain's) gas tax holiday will do well in WV since all the need is enough money for a case of beer, cigarettes, and their happy.

Kelvin Waters, Tampa FL (Sent Friday, May 09, 2008 11:29 AM)

It seems she is cutting her nose to spite her face. As long as she is attacking and damaging Obama she is killing her pollitical career. Who would vote for her in 2012?

MANDY, California (Sent Friday, May 09, 2008 11:32 AM)

I live here in Parkersburg...I have a huge problem with her "White comment", even though I know she was quoting someone else's quotes. I am of white decent and married with 2 children. I don't buy her gas tax hogwash, and quite frankly I am tired of this race. However, I think Mr.Obama needs to show he wants our votes, needs to give us the time he has given to Indiana and North Carolina voters, and avoiding us because everyone tells him he will lose is not smart. He carried Virginia and there are alot of Virginians down here including myself.
He doesn't come down here its a slap and I hope he doesn't allow her to win that arguement. I just don't know who to vote for right now.

Agatha May J., Parkersburg, West Virginia (Sent Friday, May 09, 2008 11:34 AM)

Que the Obama supportes talking about how WV doesn't matter. According to Axelrod and Donna Brazil, the white working class vote no longer matters to the Democratic Party. As a life long Democratic from the working class, I need to either fight for the soul of my party or find another group to represent me.

Trev (Sent Friday, May 09, 2008 11:34 AM)

I am a veteran, from Ohio, who is a Republican and who currently lives in California. I have followed this campaign for several months and have noticed that even though Mrs. Clinton is a strong candidate I worry about her ability to properly manage this country. She has a major financial problem with her campaign and our country already has a major deficit. What makes her think that she would be able to efficiently run this country. I keep hearing about her experiences, yet I do not see anything published that explains what those experiences are except maybe her association with Bill while he was governor and President. By the way I am White, and I most likely will vote for OBama because I feel that he projects the type of leader that I would serve and give my support to. I am also a blue-collar worker with an income in the range of $45,000 a year. I voted for Clinton when he ran because I felt that at that time we needed change. Now we need change again but a different type of change that will get this country back on its feet. I believe that Obama has the qualities and persona that will bring this country back to its status of being number one and I know that he may not have all of the answers, but we as a nation can unite to assist him in becoming a President that will serve the people as JFK did. As you can see overtime I have become an Obama supporter.

cc

Charles F. Cotrell Sr. Garden Grove, CA (Sent Friday, May 09, 2008 11:39 AM)

This is a 'white' state and the race-baiting tactics that Hillary is using will probably produce results beneficial to her. The downside is that we are all watching and we have memories. She has already used race as a divisive tactic and resurrecting this approach will confirm her racist tendencies.

I'm over 60 and a college educated white male so she has already marginalized me. Somehow she has made me into an elitist. The only difference between me and Hillary is that she has $100,000,000 plus more than me and, according to Carville, she has more testicles (3, I believe).

MBM Chicago, IL (Sent Friday, May 09, 2008 11:50 AM)

The demographics are good for Clinton. That doesn't mean that with a win in W. VA she is going to win the nomination. She would need to win 100% of the delegates to make some impact on the delegate race. The win would also help in the popular vote count, but that doesn't help much when only the delegates count.

S.B. Stein E.B. NJ (Sent Friday, May 09, 2008 11:55 AM)

To Clinton Supporters re: her remarks about Senator Obama not having support among white, working class people:

I know Senator Clinton, and by extension you, don't recognize caucus states, but could I just point out that Senator Obama won Iowa (just as an example). Aren't they working class white people? Come on ----- her comments were intended to be divisive and racially charged. I would really like to be respectful of Senator Clinton --- but her actions and her words are making it increasingly hard.

I don't know what her intent here is -- but frankly one of the things she is doing is making herself look foolish and desperate. And ya gotta believe that she wants to inflict the most damage she can on the way out. Too bad too -- she could have so easily picked the classy way out.

I hate to bust your pretty balloon - but it is time for realism here. As for the letter distributed by some of her supporters in Congress today - who knows? Are they afraid of offending her -- maybe they are just intensely loyal. Good for them. Loyalty is a good thing. But at some point, loyalty to a common goal should trump loyalty to an individual. To encourage superdelegates to overturn the will of the people is not a good idea.

It's funny -- although I do not support Sen Clinton - I thought at least she was smart. She has disappointed me so many times (I live in NY) -yet another disappointment.

Thank you Senator Obama -- you bring hope - a rare commodity these days.

Looking forward to the Obama Presidency --

Obama '08

Liz, NY (Sent Friday, May 09, 2008 12:32 PM)

Don't understand why pundits and everyone else can point out that Obama has problems with working class whites, but when Hillary does it, it's suddenly racist??? How about when they point out that she has problems with the black vote... why isn't that a race card???

West Virginia for Clinton (Sent Friday, May 09, 2008 12:40 PM)

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