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Why Shouldn't Obama Win West Virginia?

May 12, 2008 11:25 AM

1.8 million Americans live in West Virginia, 665,234 of them are registered Democrats. It's bordered by two states Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois won -- Virginia and Maryland, and two states Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-NY, won -- Pennsylvania and Ohio.  (Its fifth border state, Kentucky, holds its primary on May 20.)

The Mountain State ranks 50th in median household income, $31,008; 50th in persons in the state 25 years or older with a bachelor's degree or more, 15.3%; and 48th in per capita income, $23,995.

The state is 96% white and 3.5% African-American.

The idea of Democrats winning in West Virginia is perfectly sane. Registered Democrats outnumber registered Republicans two to one -- approximately 60% to 30%.

The state has two Democratic senators -- Bob Byrd and Jay Rockefeller -- and a Democratic governor, Joe Manchin. Two out of its three members of Congress are Democrats. The state went for Michael Dukakis in 1988, Bill Clinton in 1992 and 1996, and George W. Bush in 2000 and 2004.

Sure, with few African-Americans or college-educated Democrats, this does not seem like an "Obama" state the way these primaries have been playing out.

But Obama needs to be able to convince voters like these that he cares about them, shares their values, and will change their lives.

John F. Kennedy shocked the political world in 1960 by winning here, proving that a Catholic could win in a Protestant, heavily evangelical state. Why is it so crazy that Obama could win in West Virginia? Or at least not lose it 2-to-1?

If these Democrats vote for Clinton, the presumptive loser, overwhelmingly -- as is predicted -- that indicates a real problem for Obama. I know the delegate math is close to dispositive for Clinton, but tomorrow's butt-stomping seems to me like it should merit some serious hand-wringing among Democrats.

- jpt

May 12, 2008 in Obama, Barack | Permalink | Share | User Comments (131)

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Hillary Who? started this campaign
with a boast: her 35 years of (non)
experience.

If she doesn't pack up and go home now, she will end up with a debt of 35 million.

Posted by: anon | May 14, 2008 1:41:12 AM

If Obama can only African American, young and high educated voters, how can he win the general election without these white blue collar population. Superdelegate is trying to override the will of the white blue collar population. If he win the nominee but lose the general election so what is the point to stay in this race. He also try to ignore the Michigan and Floridate voters. He will campaing on these two states next week. He is very arrogant and think these voters will forget his action and vote for him in November.

Posted by: Laura | May 13, 2008 3:54:25 PM

What bothers me the most about Obama is that even the Chicago Tribune is reported to be covering up his direct ties to terrorist buddies Bill Ayers and Bernadine Dorhn. We've all heard rumors that Obama
has close friends who are terrorists, but none of us believed them UNTIL NOW! Read on, dear bloggers! From Accuracy in Media, a direct quote from the FBI files
follows:

“The FBI report on the Weather Underground states, under the title of ‘WUO Bombings and Attempted Bombings,’ that on February 16, 1970, ‘A bomb detonated at the Golden Gate Park Branch of the San Francisco Police Department killing one officer and injuring a number of other policemen.’

“The Society of Former Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation authored a 1979 pamphlet on the WUO that reported, ‘On October 18, 1974, Larry Grathwohl, a former member of the WUO, testified before a US Senate Subcommittee that Bill Ayers, a WUO leader, had told him that Bernardine Dohrn, another WUO leader, had to plan, develop and carry out the bombing of the police station in San Francisco. Ayers told Grathwohl the bomb was placed on the window ledge and he described the bomb that was used to the extent of saying what kind of shrapnel was used in it.’

Of course, Obama's buddies are still unprosecuted, even though people were
maimed AND murdered by their bombing! They claim no one was hurt except themselves, but this is not true. One person died and several were injured beyond description! Is this the sort of man we want to have run our country? I am not a Hillary lover and am not terribly fond of McCain, either; but I'd sure as heck vote for one of them over a best buddy to World Underground terrorists.

Think about it people!! All is NOT what it seems on the surface of the pretty faces out there...

Posted by: mama J | May 13, 2008 12:15:24 PM

My fellow west Virginians Please vote for the one that has some substance

Posted by: t.v.eddie | May 13, 2008 9:38:16 AM

There is one and one reason we u.s. find ourselves in this trouble. the real elitist and the Republican control White House. Now dress it up anyway you wanted!

Posted by: t.v.eddie | May 13, 2008 9:31:22 AM

Is this true? "The Mountain State ranks 50th in median household income, $31,008; 50th in persons in the state 25 years or older with a bachelor's degree or more, 15.3%; and 48th in per capita income, $23,995."
===============================

Ummmm....(lol)

Posted by: Dems | May 12, 2008 10:03:10 PM

I JUST LOVE THAT SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE SKIT!

IT SO ACCURATELY PORTRAYS THE REAL HILLARY.

Posted by: rhbate | May 12, 2008 9:42:03 PM

"It is clear that the uneducated, hard working Americans - white Americans - vote for me overwhelmingly. They are my core base."

Hillary dissed all non-white voters, i.e., Asian-American, African-Americans, Native Americans, Pacific Islanders, Latin Americans and Eskimos. Sounds as though she is saying only "white Americans" are hard working. As a Latino, I am insulted and my friends and I would never vote for her.

Posted by: rhbate | May 12, 2008 9:38:44 PM

Obama is campaigning in W.V. maybe not on a pander-a-rama trip like Hillary but he is visiting the state to give it a try. Next, let the people of W.V. decide how they want to vote, it does look like they will vote for Hillary in the primary but only they can decide how they will vote in the GE not the self-important know-it-alls who are yapping so loud.

Posted by: fool me once | May 12, 2008 9:21:58 PM

Hillary Who? and her surrogates are
blowing smoke in West Virginia.

Posted by: anon | May 12, 2008 9:16:08 PM

BO chickens and ducks. He is in fact afraid of his chickens go home to roost in WV. Now he doesn't believe himself.

57 states that he have gone campaigning, WV is not worth his glorious behind. The game is finished because the goal post is at the 10 yard line for him. Touch down BO: stay down and you won't get hurt.

Posted by: John_Lai | May 12, 2008 8:56:29 PM

Hillary who?

Posted by: anon | May 12, 2008 8:56:08 PM

If Mr. Obama needs West Virginia, Kentucy, and Florida to win the general election, the superdelegates must find a way to nominate Mrs. Clinton.

Posted by: Fredric | May 12, 2008 7:46:16 PM

Hillary is one of the most talented, if not the most talented-female with a class-act, politician in the world. That's the reason why she is able to handle all the thrashings she received and still is receiving. Her tenacity serves as an inspiration to all Americans as well as throughout the world. No woman or man should feel threatened by a woman like herself as long as one believes in oneself. I fully believe that her heart is for the best interest of the American people tho' I also believe that she'll have a tough time to accomplish all of her projects. To all of you who believe that Barack Hussein Obama is the guy for you, I hope you know what you are getting into before it's too late. You accuse Hillary of being dishonest but if you are honest to yourselves, ask yourselves how many times did Obama lied to the public. IN GOD WE TRUST. KEEP UP YOUR GOOD FIGHT HILLARY. GO FOR THE KILL. . ..

Posted by: avepa | May 12, 2008 6:36:09 PM

If Hillary had as hard a time sealing the deal as Obama has allegedly had, she'd be winning.

She's down 15 runs in the top of the ninth. Two grand slams aint gonna win it for her. You guys can cheer as loud as you want to make it seem like she's winning. The score is still 15-8 Obama.

Posted by: JL | May 12, 2008 6:22:11 PM

Genna: I really don't know what you are reading. The majority of the white college students plus the blacks gave Obama the win in those nickel and dime states. He had a few larger states but none were battleground. SC,NC,IL,MN & WI are not battleground states and the universities in all those states plus blacks gave him the wins. Hillary doesn't get the young white voters she gets the blue collar, white middle class voters and Latino's.

Posted by: Mariann Pepitone | May 12, 2008 5:00:32 PM

Yes, WV did go for Clinton twice. I wasn't there in '92 - I was in Texas then - but I was in WV in '96.

One of Clinton's advantages was that there are definite cultural and socio-economic similarities between the Ozarks and Appalachia, and Bill never seemed to distance himself from his culture. Al Gore spent most of his adult life in Washington, DC, and was largely perceived to have lost touch with his culture's values.

Also, in 1996, the West Virginian Democratic establishment did not appear to turn their back on Bill Clinton the way they did Gore in 2000.

Posted by: Donald G | May 12, 2008 4:36:59 PM

General Election Polls: Hillary Clinton is ahead of Obama in all of the following polls in a matchup with John McCain:

McCain-Obama McCain-Clinton
National Obama +4.2 Clinton +5.1
Pennsylvania Obama +5.0 Clinton+10.0
Ohio McCain +3.4 Clinton +5.4
Florida McCain +9.0 Clinton +1.7
Wisconsin Obama +1.6 McCain +3.4

Posted by: Truth | May 12, 2008 4:32:48 PM

Democrat: You said the right words. The media has been pro-moting Obama from the start when they should have been pro-moting Hillary. They were shoving Obama down the throats of the public. Mainly because they don't like the Clintons, jealous of them and don't want them in the white house again. Chris Matthews and Shuster are pro-Obama supporters and are extremely happy Hillary is losing but they still may get a shock. Neighter one will reach 2025 so its up to the superdelegates to nominate the nominee and let's hope its not Obama.

Posted by: Mariann Pepitone | May 12, 2008 4:23:34 PM

Donald: But West Virginia went for Bill Clinton twice. I agree with you about Obama; he will not win that state, along with many others.

Posted by: George | May 12, 2008 4:17:53 PM

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