Biden predicts win in West Va.

Posted: Tuesday, October 14, 2008 5:42 PM by Domenico Montanaro
Filed Under: Joe Biden

From NBC/NJ's Mike Memoli
ST. CLAIRSVILLE, Ohio -- Biden was campaigning in Ohio, but had West Virginia on his mind late this afternoon, making a bold promise to win a state that has gone Republican in the past two elections.

“Which way is West-By-God-Virginia?” Biden asked the crowd Ohio University Eastern Campus, about 10 miles west of that state's border with Ohio. “I want to send a message to West Virginia -- we’re going to win in West Virginia! … We’re going to shock the living devil out of y’all!”

The electoral map has expanded for Democrats of late, and some polls have indeed shown a tightening race in West Virginia. Obama was pummeled in the Mountain State's primary by Hillary Clinton, but the economic crisis is one reason things have changed. Biden also referred to some dissatisfaction with the way McCain has run his campaign.

“John McCain has nothing new to offer. I think that’s why you’ve seen the McCain campaign becoming so erratic,” he said. “Even the conservative magazines are saying he has to fire his whole campaign staff. Well I don’t think it’s about that, I think John’s mad because he doesn’t quote know what to do or say.”

Biden finds himself deep in Ohio’s coal country. And just about a month after a YouTube video captured him talking about clean coal, he pledged that coal “is a part of our energy future.”

“We can provide clean coal technology, not only exporting that technology and our coal, we can sell that technology, creating jobs,” he said. “Ladies and gentlemen, what have great presidents always done? They’ve seen a problem and turned it into an opportunity. This should be a win-win for us, if we just get off, off of being so beholden to big oil.”

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Comments

I think that Joe Biden is definitely right. Also John McCain's campaign is being bitter and at this rate they are going to soar down into the polls, lose states (both light red and swing) and votes. Due to all of this I think West Virginia goes to the democrats.

Hunter , Illinois (Sent Tuesday, October 14, 2008 8:23 PM)

Must have had Acorn in WV for the last 60 day. someone should check to see if the Colts football team can vote there.

rta, Indianapolis, in (Sent Tuesday, October 14, 2008 8:27 PM)

It was overcast and looked like it was going to rain in St. Clairsville Ohio...The clouds disappeared and sun came out about 10 minutes before he walked onto stage...It was rather surreal.

Doug Wheeling WV (Sent Tuesday, October 14, 2008 8:28 PM)

agree and i thino obama can win west virginia because the economy has been horrible there for a long time even beyond the bush years so west virginians fight for your right to change your economic status to produce more jobs for your state instead of another republican rule which will make the economy tank past the depression status

greg remington va (Sent Tuesday, October 14, 2008 8:29 PM)

I am a staunch Obama supporter... but there is no way in hell we are winning WV....

no way!

Cindy (Sent Tuesday, October 14, 2008 8:30 PM)

West Virginia's trendlines have been moving drastically toward Obama for a month now as is the case in all the Battleground States. Why is Chuck Todd and NBC not keeping up with the momentum switches when they are happening. They are too cautious on these polls and should start living on the wild side.

Jerry (Sent Tuesday, October 14, 2008 8:31 PM)

The reason Hillary "pummeled" Obama in W. Virginia as you say was that this was one of the states that Obama had pretty much tucked his campaign in after winning enough votes fir victory and Limbaugh and the rest was egging Hillary and the W. Virginians on, in some kind of "let's sabotge the Dems by stretching this thing out" campaign? It was just a few months ago. We do have memories at least that long. Geez!! The people of W. Virginia have not made a final referendum, they have not even seen Obama there yet.

Dan, Chicago, Illinois (Sent Tuesday, October 14, 2008 8:39 PM)

let me see, a composed, foriegn affairs knowing, america first joe biden as second in command. or a non interviewing, i can see russia, mccarthy type as second. there really is no debate here.

sjp, madison wi. (Sent Tuesday, October 14, 2008 8:46 PM)

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