Upcoming contests: Excitement in WV
Posted: Monday, May 12, 2008 9:08 AM by Mark Murray
Filed Under:
2008, Primaries
WEST VIRGINIA: The AP previews the primary and notes, "The excitement is showing at the ballot box as well. Even before the final day of early voting Saturday, Secretary of State Betty Ireland reported that a record 49,892 West Virginians had cast ballots."
The
New York Times covers Clinton stumping in West Virginia yesterday. “On Mother’s Day, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton was not served breakfast in bed. She did not go to a fancy lunch, or get to be queen for a day. Instead, she rose early and spent a 16-hour day slogging through a cold rain in West Virginia, the next state on her to-do list… The Mother’s Day weekend afforded the former first lady, accompanied by her daughter, Chelsea, the chance to remind voters of her unique qualifications in this election — not just as a woman, but as a mother. That she is a mother, with such an obvious bond with her daughter, both humanizes her and signals to women that she understands their concerns, their pressures — and their pride.”
It may be late, but Clinton is once again trying to turn her candidacy into a movement with women. Per NBC/NJ's Mike Memoli, Clinton closed her West Virginia event yesterday by reading an email she received. “Happy Mother’s Day,” the woman wrote to Clinton. “Hopefully I’ll be wishing you one next year as president. You have already succeeded at the world’s hardest job, being a mother. The second hardest job should be a breeze for you.”
KENTUCKY: A new Lexington Herald-Leader/WKYT-TV/Research 2000 poll has Clinton leading in Kentucky, 58%-31%.
Obama has a new TV ad running in Kentucky that talks about his support of coal. “He came to southern Illinois and seen the devastation and the loss of the jobs in the coal industry," said Randy Henry, who is identified as a miner for 31 years. "Washington, D.C., is not listening to us. Barack understands it." More: “The commercial highlights Obama's key accomplishment as pushing a provision in 2007 to provide $200 million for clean coal technology. The proposal -- sponsored by Obama and four others, including Kentucky Republican U.S. Sen. Jim Bunning -- was passed unanimously as an amendment to the 2008 budget resolution."
Also: "The Republican National Committee, however, criticized Obama's energy policy for restricting job growth in the coal industry. ‘Barack Obama is telling Kentucky voters he “understands” coal, but fails to mention that he has proposed taxing coal, voted against coal-to-liquid legislation and that his own energy policy would restrict the growth of Kentucky's coal industry,’ said RNC spokeswoman Katie Wright in a statement.”
