Why Obama lost West Virginia (A True West Virginian Perspective)

I'm sick and tired of Obama supporters putting down the state of West Virginia and it's people by calling the entire state racist.  Sure West Virginia has racists, but so does a lot of other states.

Fact of the matter is Obama had a genuine moment to come into West Virginia like JFK did in 1960 and get to know some truly great people and change some minds, but instead he chose to ignore West Virginia and got his ass handed to him as a result.

Disclaimer I actually voted for Sen. Obama via my absentee ballot, but last night I wish I had my vote back because he deserved the ass kicking he got in West Virginia.

I'm sick and tired of Obama supporters putting down West Virginia and saying Obama lost West Virginia because the state is full of racists.

If West Virginia is so racist, why is my Congressman an Arab-American?  Can you tell me that?  He's one of only two in the U.S. Congress if I'm not mistaken.

Here's why Obama lost West Virginia.

1. He chose not to campaign here (*edit calling Senator Obama lazy was a bad word choice and a stupid knee-jerk remark).  He thought he could spend some money on tv and radio ads and influence the voters.  Well he was WRONG!  West Virginians want to get the know the candidates like voters in Iowa and New Hampshire.  They don't make up their minds on candidates because some coal miner in Illinois says good things about a particular candidate.

2. West Virginia loves Bill and Hillary Clinton.  They actually came to West Virginia and went through every small town and hollow asking for votes.  Had Obama done the same he might not have got his ass handed to him last night.  Don't forget that President Clinton won West Virginia in 1992 and 1996.

3. Obama has a problem with some working class white voters; voters that he is going to need if he ever wants to become president.  Contrary to popular belief, there's not enough votes in every Starbucks in the country for Obama to win President.  If the only thing people know about him is he 1) has a funny name, 2) had a radical preacher, and 3) doesn't wear an American flag lapel pin, of course people are not going to vote for him.  The most astonishing thing I saw in the exit polls last night was roughly 50% of WV voters thought he had the same views as Rev. Wright.  I'm sorry, but that's not as much racism and only knowing about Obama what they hear on tv.  He should have came here and told people his life story, his values, and what makes him who is as a person.

4. Obama didn't even win the young people in West Virginia.  He couldn't even hold the demographics he has been winning in other states.

On a lighter note, I think Sen. Obama will make a great President, but Obama supporters need to quit this bullshit about not needing places like West Virginia.  The last thing you should be doing is throwing racist sour grapes at the people of West Virginia.  Doesn't help your candidate (it actually hurts him) and it makes it that much harder on me trying to convince people to support him here in West Virginia in the fall.

•  Okaaaaay

  by lookit on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:00:08 AM PDT

  •  So...

    A self-identified True West Virginian says this:

    His lazy ass wouldn't campaign here.

    ::

    Obama did campaign there. Two public appearances, television ads, and a ground operation with empty field offices qualifies as campaigning.

    But once I read your description, I stopped. You just undermined your entire argument, whatever it might have been, because you've decided to invoke a racial stereotype to describe a man who has campaigned tirelessly across this nation for more than a year.

    West Virginia boasts a pretty high concentration of bigots.

    That's a fact.

    If West Virginians want to change that fact, then it will take some bigots to do some serious anti-bigotry work and then crack the faces of the rest of the bigots in the state.

    Change happens one person at a time.

    Instead of lashing out on the Internet, I suggest you find a few of your neighbors who can admit with pride and a straight face that they'd never vote for Obama because he's black. And a Muslim. And not a full-blooded American. Find them and tell them to get over their bullshit and pull the level for the Black guy in November because it's in their best interest to do so, regardless of their bigotry.

    Otherwise, spare me the defensive and fallacious self-righteousness.

    by Craig Hickman on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:23:40 AM PDT

    •  Ironic self-righteousness

      Given this:

      Contrary to popular belief, there's not enough votes in every Starbucks in the country for Obama to win President.

      and the laundry list of Clintonian talking points.

      In asking me to believe (s)he voted for Obama, the diarist appears to believe that I am as stupid as the sterotype that Obama supporters are accused of believing in.

      by DelRPCV on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:57:11 AM PDT

      •  Say It Again.

        If I hear another talking head say that this election hasn't been nasty, I will throw a rock into my television.

        Or just turn it off.

        This has been the nastiest primary election I've seen in my lifetime. Probably because so much of nastiness was completely unseen by those who can't see it.

        Bigotry depends upon stupidity.

        So do the Bush and Clinton regimes.

        Hillary Rodham Nixon is trying to steal this thing and she's leaving no stone unturned in trying.

        To become the White Candidate and get the MSM involved in her racism is nasty. And since she's playing this bullshit against the mixed-race candidate who identifies as Black makes it even nastier.

        by Craig Hickman on Wed May 14, 2008 at 12:32:45 PM PDT

•  Agreed... comments have been over the top

  There are many of WV workers that deserve our respect, not our belittlement.  There were many Kossacks routing for you guys yesterday... did you see that many were "food bombing" WV Obama offices?

  Mountaineer -- do you think there was a reason Obama held back in WV?  Wanting to give Clinton a room for a gracious exit, since she was the favorite in the state?  I am thinking there has to be a calculated reason behind his decision.

  by karenina044 on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:03:09 AM PDT

  •  To be honest I don't really know

    When I voted for Obama via my absentee ballot, I really thought he was going to come here and campaign.  In all honesty, I wanted him to come here and have a JFK 1960 moment.

    I really hope what hasn't happened is that he has chosen to not even try to play in WV in November.  I think many West Virginians now feel slighted by his lack of effort and that will make it even tougher for him to win here in November.

    By all means West Virginia should be a blue state.  Democrats have a 2-1 registration advantage here.  Not too many states with a registration advantage that large.  National Democrats have to run on the right message here, a mostly economic message because the state is socially conservative and economically liberal.

    by Mountaineer Maniac on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:13:46 AM PDT

    •  We'll see; we've got almost six months yet n/t

      by CHinCT on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:18:05 AM PDT

      •  WV should be blue but it rarely has been.

        I realize you're angry- and I'd feel the same if (1) I had to read diary after diary describing residents of my state as hillbilly rednecks and (2) the campaign didn't get there much.    But because Obama didn't go to WV more, he's a 'lazy ass'?    You really stand by that?

        by brueso on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:26:56 AM PDT

        •  I think the "name calling here" was done partly

          tongue in cheek. More as a challenge than anything else.

          But it seems to me that Obama ad and PR folks ought to read this diary and take it seriously and figure out better strategies for reaching people in places like West Virginia.

          Obama can't be everywhere at once, but is there anything he could have done differently that might not have helped him win West Virginia but would have at least conveyed the idea that he's a different guy from Jeremiah Wright?

          by sclminc on Wed May 14, 2008 at 12:00:29 PM PDT

    •  So, you think he should have given Oregon ...

      to Clinton and instead focused his efforts on West Virginia? Interesting concept.

      by edg on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:24:07 AM PDT

    •  where abouts do you live?

      I used to live in Hurricane. I have family there & visit often enough (just came back from a wedding, matter of fact). I don't think he ever had a chance in WV, and I do think there's a culture of racism there. It's not overt, aggressive, hateful or all-inclusive, but it's there.

      I also think it takes a little longer for West Virginians to warm up to people. While I do agree Obama should have spent some time there, bear in mind the pressure is on for him to perform well in Oregon.

      by Lord Sphere on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:38:00 AM PDT

      •  Also former WV resident

        Totally agree. So similar to my own comment down thead. We played Hurricane in HS, so we're from the same general area.

        by roadlion on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:45:04 AM PDT

    •  Allocation of resources?

      I wonder if the lack of campaigning effort was a calculated allocation of resources. The Obama campaign seems to have a very tight play book for winning the nomination.

      With the nomination in hand, the campaign will step up to the plate and be there to win in November.

      WV is not the only state that was lightly covered by the Obama campaign in the primary. They are playing for the numbers. He did get some delegates there, in spite of the unequal effort.

      I have faith that they know what they are doing, and that all will be revealed in good time. Hang in there MM.

      by Zorge on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:42:57 AM PDT

    •  If Obama did go to WV...

      It would have been more as a support to his ground workers there...  I can only imagine how demoralized they are today.

      by karenina044 on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:44:17 AM PDT

    •  Another True West Virginian is talking

      on Ed Schultz's radio program right now----and he said he was ashamed of his state for the obvious conclusions that could be drawn from the vote results there yesterday.

      by dotster on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:47:29 AM PDT

    •  His lazy ass

      fu too

      by larryww on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:49:59 AM PDT

      •  Lazy Ass

        Wondering whether we should call HRC out for not campaigning vigorously in Utah, Wyoming, Kansas, Nebraska. Guess her ASS is lazy too! Maybe because I'm black, I take that criticism as bigoted. All campaigns allocate their resources to where they can win. Even GWB will tell you that anyone who has been campaigning for 16 months is not lazy.

        by never forget 2000 on Wed May 14, 2008 at 12:04:13 PM PDT

    •  Obama elite?

      Starbucks candidate? If West Virginians who are having trouble paying their mortgages because Bush/McCain destroyed the economy turn to McBush with his eight houses (the largest being a $4.25 million McMansion in Arizona presently up for sale) and his $100 million trophy wife who will never release her tax returns, they have their own lazy asses to blame. McCain had a Corvette when he was sixteen, was a legacy candidate to Annapolis out of a private Washington high school in a competitive Washington DC market because Daddy and Granddad were four stars. Lot of Colonels with kids having better grades probably lost that slot to ol' affirmative action McSame because Daddy had the rank. And we know how well McCain did at Navy. Obama got to Harvard Law School from Columbia, while McCain got to dump his first wife for another Daddy-in-Law and a younger chick to finance his political career. That's when he got passed over for Admiral.
      West Virginians will really love the McCain/Bush dissolving dollar, and will see their parents, displaced by outsourcing,die on Medicaid which McCain will cut. McCain's straight talk may keep them out of Starbucks, but he still won't release his medical records. We have "bitter" people here in Ohio, but at least our Dems have the guts to impeach our Attorney General. Don't get me started on the Keating Five...

      by auditor on Wed May 14, 2008 at 12:02:49 PM PDT

  •  Why Obama held back

    This is just my speculation: for him to make a big campaign effort, and then (inevitably) lose big to HRC anyway, would have looked worse than losing big without making a big effort.

    As to belittlement of WV, that stuff really frosts me. We're supposed to be progressives here. People who get misled into making bad political choices need to be helped to better understanding, not kicked in the mouth.

    Poblano made an interesting observation the other day-- that outside the AA population, HRC's support increases as the education level of voters decreases. Relative to education level, HRC gets no more support in WV than in the nation generally.

    Disrespecting people because the circumstances of their lives did not allow them to get a great education is completely unacceptable IMHO.

    by DBunn on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:20:35 AM PDT

    •  A going away present to Hillary.

      So she can keep her fundraising going and retire some debt. That's another theory.

      The real enemy is not each other, it is the republicks who don't want people to get a great education. If more people did that, the republick message would be a tough sell.

      by edg on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:27:20 AM PDT

    •  The only people belittling WV are Sen. Clinton

      (labeling WV's voters as racist by definition) and the multiple WV diarists (attempting to explain the racist attitudes of the state, and these are their words not mine).  I've visited WV twice and never had that opinion of the state.

      by lordcopper on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:29:06 AM PDT

    •  WV Exit Polls Show Obama Lost the Bigot Vote

      100-0. Results in general election to be identical. McCain declares, " The North Cheated in the Civil War. I'm white and he ain't!"

      by mcartri on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:47:31 AM PDT

    •  I'd have considered a big GOTV effort

      that basically surrendered any thought of doing well in the primary against HRC.  Have the phone banks and canvassers contact EVERY voter with a chance of voting Democratic (including those pre-identified as supporting Clinton), and go for max turnout regardless of the outcome.  Treat it as campaigning for November.  Say something like "we hope you'll vote for our guy; if not, voting for the other Democrat is the next best thing" and that it's all about beating McCain, voting Democratic in November no matter who the nominee ends up being.

      by clyde on Wed May 14, 2008 at 01:03:07 PM PDT

      •  I like it! n/t

        by DBunn on Wed May 14, 2008 at 02:23:19 PM PDT

  •  He held back in WV

    because the stakes were too high in Oregon.  He knew that he could only close the gap but so much in WV, however, he could make up for any lost delegates by increasing his margin in Oregon.  Remember, Oregon is already voting.  In fact, as Poblanopoints out:

    For all intents and purposes, the election in Oregon is about two-thirds over. That's why Barack Obama is campaigning in Michigan today; the election is literally in the (mail)bag.

    Thus, Obama didn't have the time to basically teach folks about him like he did elsewhere.  I certainly wish that he had spent more time in WV.  Another thing I thought of last night was that since school just let out, much of his collegiate ground force was nullified.

    by ayanna a kazana on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:55:47 AM PDT

    •  Exactly what I believe happened

      by Hollowdweller on Wed May 14, 2008 at 12:13:39 PM PDT

•  how dare you insult my latte-drinking!

  who do you think you are that you can hurl insults like that?

  by Shahryar on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:03:42 AM PDT

•  If this describes the typical WV voter:

  If the only thing people know about him is he 1) has a funny name, 2) had a radical preacher, and 3) doesn't wear an American flag lapel pin, of course people are not going to vote for him.

  You folks really need some education.

  by Mas Gaviota on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:04:27 AM PDT

  •  Hey if you don't have access

    to the internet, or even cable, where would you get information??

    We are spoiled, hanging out on the net every day and forget the huge information gap that has nothing to do with lack of education, and everything to do with lack of MONEY.

    by revgerry on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:17:27 AM PDT

    •  Assumptions?

      West Virginia is not Myanmar. I grew up not far from there and we had cable TV back in the 1960s.

      by CHinCT on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:22:20 AM PDT

      •  If it were

        McCain's campaign staff would lobby for you

        by auditor on Wed May 14, 2008 at 12:30:09 PM PDT

    •  They don't have NPR or libraries in WV ?

      scary - they do in Alabama

      by tiponeill on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:50:40 AM PDT

      •  Uh.....

        Sure, if you live in a big (medium-sized) city like Charleston or Morgantown.  Or in the Panhandle, which is a DC exurb, you'll have all the 'tronics and literature your li'l heart desires.

        But if you live more than a mile outside of Bluefield or Princeton, or in Elkton or Hurricane, kiss cable goodbye.  You have to pick and choose your cell phone company, 'cause many of them won't work at all and others drain your battery in fifteen minutes.  Landlines is IT.  And as for libraries ... weall.  It depends on exactly what you call a Library.  New York or Chicago Public they ain't.  There's a county library a forty-minute drive from my place that has at least as many books as an urban Bookmobile, though.  Come to think of it, it's located in an old single-wide trailer.

        There are places in Alabama like that, too, and don't tell me different 'cause I spent a decade in Mobile one summer long ago, and while I hope matters have changed somewhat, I met plenty of people who, while theoretically literate, obviously had never seen the inside of a library.

        by cynndara on Wed May 14, 2008 at 01:06:54 PM PDT

•  I'm sorry

  that there has been so much anti-WV talk on this site the last few days.  But there have also been a lot of people trying to combat all that negativity.  Kos himself said that we shouldn't insult states.

  I think Obama was in a lose-lose situation in WV.  If he campaigned there hard and still lost by 30 points (which I think he would have), it would have looked bad too.

  by marypickford on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:04:29 AM PDT

  •  I agree

    even though I was very dissappointed he did not campaign much.

    I really don't like the lazy comment. It plays right into the comments that Hillary Clinton made.

    I live in West Virginia and we worked hard to support Obama. Some of us called ugly names doors slammed and worse. Are all West Virginian racist, NO.

    Are there alot of people here that are, YES!!!

    I believe he has a reason he did not come here and it should be respected!!!

    by rosecar on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:12:16 AM PDT

  •  that's a realistic

    assessment. It's good that Obama holds himself to a higher standard and WE hold him to a higher standard. So, you know, he "ignored" fewer states than Clinton did and reaped the benefit, but he did just happened to "ignore" one state that had a primary all by itself and got a lot of publicity. Let's not blow the West Virginia situation out of proportion one way or another.

    Guess what--he's probably going to "ignore" the rest of the primary calendar as well (McCain, by locking things up earlier, did WAY more ignoring than either Clinton or Obama) because that's what people do when they become the nominee. He'll "ignore" Oregon and win, and "ignore" Kentucky and lose. Get over it.

    by JMS on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:52:42 AM PDT

•  Where does that

  stereotype come from anyway?

  "I'm going to vote for the colored guy," said Henry Ford -- "no, not that Henry Ford," the 87-year old retired carpenter in the Napa Auto Parts hat pointed out. "I don't dislike her, but I don't think a woman can be president of the United States. I don't think she can handle the job."

  I can't understand

  by MLDB on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:05:30 AM PDT

•  I think it's simpler than all that

  It's that this primary is no longer Obama vs. Clinton, it's Obama vs. the math and Clinton vs. the math.  He realized (finally?) how to keep the media from running with a "Obama campaigned hard and was still blown away" story: by not campaigning hard in a state that he only had a week to campaign in and was going to lose anyway.

  I think West Virginia matters, just not in the primary.  For that matter, Puerto Rico, Montana, and South Dakota aren't going to matter either.

  And before anyone jumps on me for saying states don't matter, we shouldn't forget that in most primary years most of the states don't matter, because the nominee is decided must earlier on, and as a result the remaining states don't affect the outcome, and nobody campaigns hard in them.

  by barath on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:06:03 AM PDT

  •  Strategic consideration

    That's what it was. Steering this campaign is like managing a football or basketball game. You can't go 100 percent in every direction every second of the game. You have to make strategic judgments.

    West Virginia from its earliest polling looked like unfavorable territory for Obama. Coming only a week behind North Carolina and Indiana, any bench coach would have known which states had to get the emphasis (and look like game-winners, to boot).

    Also, the Appalachia theory as very difficult territory for Obama does seem to have some merit. The writing was on the wall based on how he performed in regions of Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia that border West Virginia.

    He could make some headway with some West Virginians over time, but that was time and energy he didn't have to spare at this point. It's like looking into the lane in basketball and seeing Shaquille O'Neal waiting for you -- going straight at him is a low percentage play. Better find another route.

    That is an entirely different argument, though, than simple disrespect and West Virginia bashing that you are objecting to. Some of that has been over the top. Some of the points made though, West Virginians seem to perversely celebrate themselves, so you can't say it's entirely unfounded.

    by QuestionableSanity on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:27:05 AM PDT

•  I agree. Mostly.

  I love West Viginia too, and I've been pissed off at the way people on this site have characterized the state. And I think Obama would have done somewhat better with more on-the-ground campaigning. But I have to take issue with the Starbucks comment and your wish that you hadn't voted for him.

  by Bindle on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:06:51 AM PDT

•  I agree with you, he should've campaigned there

  more. But more than anything, I think it had a lot to do with logistical restrictions than anything. He had to spend a whole lot of time in NC and IN, and by the time those two were over, it was somewhat too late to go in there and make an impact. The Clinton campaign would've claimed that he spent more money there, campaigned harder, and still got a good ol' ass whoppin'.

  Add to that by the way that Bill Clinton campaigned hard in WV, and folks do seem to love him there. For the general, I would say that WV is not lost, and he can still have it if he tries, and if you keep up the good work and help him out a bit :)

  by lizardbox on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:07:01 AM PDT

•  When there is no choice between Dems, don't you

  think an overwhelming number of those working class white non-racists will choose Obama in the general? The diarist claims that Obama has a problem among working class voters. I think this problem is only skin deep, and during the general, a huge number of them will NOT VOTE for McCain.

  by threesmommy on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:07:13 AM PDT

•  your diary is UNFAIR and you know it

  1.  You call Obama lazy? Are you freaking nuts? That was a horrible thing to say about any presidential candidate who works their butt off.  Maybe he read the on the ground reports of "I wont vote for a n***er" or "hang that darky from a tree" - maybe he also has to COMPETE AGAINST A FORMER PRESIDENT who panders to WV residents.

  2.  West Virginia loves Bill and Hillary Clinton.  Well good for you, but THEY PANDERED TO YOU...Bill Clinton has not been in your state FOR YEARS..but you buy his blathering on about how he loves your state...what has he done for your state specifically?  Have you seen any Clinton Foundation money coming your way?  WV residents went 70% for the gas tax gimmick.  You can watch cable...every economist in the nation was against it... yet WV bought that line of crap.  So you buy her load of bull that she just loves your state, blah blah blah...but if she lost your state, you would have not counted anymore.

  3.  Obama has WON A TON OF WHITE VOTERS...shall I list all the states again for you? So if he came to your state repeatedly and said he "was not a muslim" all of the sudden they would have changed their opinion of him?  I dont know how many interviews I saw where reporters were telling WV residents that he is NOT a muslim, and the reply was "I dont believe him"

  grrrr to your post

  by tambora on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:07:16 AM PDT

  •  Excellent POST

    by cwholcomb on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:16:06 AM PDT

  •  Maybe Obama should have tried coming to WV

    If Obama doesn't want the people to think he is a Muslim maybe he should come here and tell them he's not.

    I know he's not, but I'm sorry most West Virginians don't know much about Senator Obama.  The Clintons are well known here.

    by Mountaineer Maniac on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:18:52 AM PDT

    •  honestly, you think that would have

      made a big difference? How many of the people who thought he was a Muslim also thought he shared the same beliefs as his, um, Christian pastor? Sorry, but I don't think a speech or two is going to straighten out the many misunderstandings of these voters.

      by elmo on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:23:07 AM PDT

    •  Where is the tip jar?

      Your "Lazy Ass" comment needs the respect it deserves.

      by Mas Gaviota on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:25:12 AM PDT

    •  they dont believe him

      that is the problem...he has a funny name as you said...I saw tons of reporting in WV...they were told "he attends a Christian church for 20 years"  and they say "so, we dont believe him, it is a lie"

      I mean, I guess if his name was Jack Smith, he could have gone there and people might have began to believe him...

      it is just sad...all around...

      by tambora on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:25:57 AM PDT

    •  He did come

      I remember and I live way out here in California.

      by GW Chimpzilla on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:26:07 AM PDT

    •  It is my hope that Obama will make his way into

      WV should he be certified the Democratic nominee. West Virginians should know the Clintons. After all, they are our former President and First Lady. As someone has already asked, what specifically have the Clintons done for WV? What has anyone really done to uplift WV?

      Since it has been pointed out that West Virginia is a bit behind when it comes to receiving information, and falls far behind when it comes to education and income, it is then no surprise that they know very little about Obama and/or only have distorted views of him. Regardless of the age group, Obama was already destined to fail due to these disadvantages in the state.

      I don't know what the stragegy is going to be for the Obama campaign in the future, but WV should hopefully be a state where he makes a stop. 50-state strategy should be 50 states, but only if it is logistically feasible.

      by mselite on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:30:53 AM PDT

    •  I get the reasons why he didn't go but . . .

      still a disappointed in the lack of effort.

      Both candidates are looking worn down I think, but I have no empirical data to support that, just observations. So, I'm betting that he wanted a break and saw this as a good time to take one before a push in KY. Doesn't really need to do much in OR until the night before, since they've probably hit 50% of the total votes in the mail anyway. I haven't looked at the schedule for this week, anyone know if KY gets more attention?

      by patooker on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:30:59 AM PDT

    •  Give it time. November is still pretty far off.

      Obama did not need to win the WV primary, but maybe he will feel the need to spend some time there after HRC is out of the picture. He's already shown that he can/will overcome overwhelming odds when it makes sense to try. Maybe this time it just didn't make sense.

      He didn't spend much time in my state either. Further, I doubt we'll see him much this summer because he's almost certainly going to win it in November. Of course, things could change if McSame chooses my DINO senator Lieberschmuck as his running mate, then maybe Obama will campaign here a bit. However, I hope that he will not have to do that; I'd prefer that he go to places where it'll make more of a difference.

      by CHinCT on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:32:59 AM PDT

    •  He had more visits to WV than to California! n/t

      by Mas Gaviota on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:33:38 AM PDT

    •  Maybe WV should try coming to Obama

      I tend to agree that it's great to get a candidate to show up.

      But honestly, if you're going to continue to talk about how people in West Virginia were still under the impression that Obama is Muslim, maybe people there need to open a newspaper or turn on the TV or computer?  (Having lived in Virginia ... nah, I'm not going to go there).

      And if you're looking for a repeat of JFK's 1960 West Virginia moment - because Obama's been such a mystery shrouded by lack of any media coverage to date - it would probably be more effective in the general election campaign.

      by Darmok on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:35:54 AM PDT

    •  what i want to say, but i wont

      what i want to say is maybe you should get your lazy butt off your computer and go  tell them yourself, since we're all working towards the same goal - but i wont.
      what i will say is i think Sen. Obama will be spending a lot of time in WV. even if he had spent all week there, i hardly believe it would have made much of a difference. why should he be campaigning against the moved loved Clintons, when he's pretty much locked up the nomination. he will be back, with a united democratic party behind him to campaign against McCain - so they can vote for their economic interest.
      and last, stop denying that WV is a place that has a higher than average amount of people who will regard Obama as less than favourable. it comes with lack of education, and diversity and poverty. These people (and i mean anyone who is not well educated) don't read a lot, therefore, the fact that newspapers in WV endorse Obama probably don't mean much. i understand in those circumstances, there will need to be more face to face time. I'm black, i went to WV during Spring Breaks to do volunteer work. No Girls gone wild there! they were suspicious at first. infact, they couldn't understand why we were down there cleaning up, and had thought we were prison labour!
      Boy that was funny.
      after they got to know us, they were the sweetest people. kind, open and full of stories. i assume they will give Sen. Obama the same chance.

      by ladygreenslippers on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:47:44 AM PDT

      •  hmm you spell it "Labour"

        most have European or African roots. ya?

        by rapcetera on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:56:50 AM PDT

        •  sigh. i try so hard. lol

          sometimes i forget. and there's grey and gray. and when i ignore spell check, that's what comes out! at least you know it's regional, and not because i can't spell - i'm always afraid of that. hehe.

          by ladygreenslippers on Wed May 14, 2008 at 02:40:15 PM PDT

        •  Oh - Eastern Caribbean. n/t

          by ladygreenslippers on Wed May 14, 2008 at 02:41:07 PM PDT

      •  I'm glad you had a positive WV experience

        Your point is what I was trying to convey.  If people in West Virginia had gotten to know Sen. Obama, he would have faired a lot better here.  Instead, all they knew was what they seen on the cable news about Rev. Wright etc...

        I'm glad you got to meet some great West Virginians and I too think they will give Sen. Obama a chance in November, as long as he's willing to come here and work for it.

        by Mountaineer Maniac on Wed May 14, 2008 at 12:20:53 PM PDT

  •  Your post deserves to be its own diary....

    by rapcetera on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:53:00 AM PDT

•  5 electoral college votes

  The Obama campaign, thus far, seems to have an excellent handle on how to successfully run his campaign.  Maybe they decided that they have a different electoral college route to the presidency & don't need these 5 electoral votes in Nov.  Just saying...

  by Somewhere in Texas on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:07:24 AM PDT

  •  Exactly.

    Our route to the White House does not include WV. Given a choice between Obama and McCain, WV will vote for the white candidate. That is a fact. The campaign is charting its course just fine in my view. We need to kiss the 5 electoral votes of WV goodbye and work on the many other states we can actually win.

    by jessica69 on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:30:54 AM PDT

•  If he had campaigned full throttle in WV

  how much difference do you suppose it would have made?  10% sounds realistic to me.  

  by johnny rotten on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:07:52 AM PDT

  •  I doubt it

    I think they would have campaigned more if they knew they could have gained 10 points...their internals must have told them otherwise....

    everyone seems to forget that there is ONE Obama and TWO CLINTONS - WV voted for Bill all over again...

    by tambora on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:09:08 AM PDT

    •  5%?

      2%?

      by johnny rotten on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:10:12 AM PDT

      •  just a guess

        who knows...maybe he would have gained a little...but I dont thinkg 10%....they are trying alot hard in Kentucky, so they must have internals telling them that they can close the gap...

        by tambora on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:12:20 AM PDT

    •  He DID go to WV 3 times...

      twice before May 6 that I recall, then once over the weekend.

      On a per-delegate basis, that's more than most states.  How many visits do you think WV deserves?  Which stops over the last week (or two or three) should he have cancelled to go to WV more?

      by Rorgg on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:13:46 AM PDT

  •  He still would have lost

    He still would have lost because West Virginia demographically like PA, OH, and some other states trend toward Clinton.  The Clintons are also really popular here.  I think he could have made it closer and people wouldn't have felt ignored by him.  That is what's going to hurt him the most in the fall.

    by Mountaineer Maniac on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:21:16 AM PDT

    •  I disagree

      How they vote in the fall would in no way be affected by how much time he spent there in the primary. Whether he spent 3 days or 3 months, they still will not be voting for him in the fall. The campaign I'm sure knows this and acted accordingly.

      by jessica69 on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:34:27 AM PDT

    •  In the fall it doesn't matter if he loses

      by 1 vote or 100,000.  It's winner take all, and as Sen.Clinton intimated and WV ratified, (I paraphrase) being AA is a tremendous disadvantage when appealing to the voters of WV.

      by lordcopper on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:38:32 AM PDT

  •  Ten percent sounds right . . .

    maybe a little optimistic, but if you figure his absence cost him 5 points -- who knows.  Sounds like he could have peeled off some of the Clinton support.

    by NotGeorgeWill on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:29:49 AM PDT

•  From the horses own mouth (west virgians)

  http://www.youtube.com/...

  Enough said.

  by wuod kwatch on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:08:03 AM PDT

  •  This makes me want to vomit.

    by David Kroning on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:17:39 AM PDT

    •  I agree ugly, willful, hateful ignorance.

      by JNSD on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:25:30 AM PDT

  •  Wow... that is startling horrible.

    by karenina044 on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:25:50 AM PDT

  •  A liberal version of . . .

    "Hannity's America" is my take away from the clip.

    80,000 votes FOR Obama.
    50% of Clinton's support saying that they would vote for Obama during the general (100,000) -- i.e. people who weren't necessarily voting against Obama, but rather for Clinton.
    25% who said they didn't know who they'd support during the general (maybe people who were too embarrassed to say no -- but probably a chunk who honestly haven't decided one way or another).

    200,000 voters open to an Obama candidacy -- the overwhelming majority being white including all economic groups -- yet not a single person from this group interviewed to hear their reasoning?  

    Instead we got a clip of 4 people that reinforced a particular outside attitude towards the state.  

    More advocacy journalism, than reporting.  Not real journalism -- more a documentary pushing an agenda.  ergo: Hannity in America-like.

    by NotGeorgeWill on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:35:47 AM PDT

    •  Really

      Because I read nearly an identical report in the Financial Times -- or are You going to claim that the FT is 'liberal advocacy' too!?

      by josephk on Wed May 14, 2008 at 12:38:28 PM PDT

      •  I'd called it more . . ..

        entertainment for ignorants about ignorants.

        e.g. the kind of reporting that doesn't add nuance to the views of its audience, but rather reinforces existing prejudices about a group of people, a state, a region, or a race.

        The fact that a story has the Financial Times name slapped on it in itself means nothing to me.  

        Journalism is not sociological research -- and this topic that lends itself to more than 5 minute soundbyte reporting.  Complicated subject.

        by NotGeorgeWill on Wed May 14, 2008 at 09:34:38 PM PDT

  •  Thanks for posting this

    Folks WV is not voting for a black candidate which is why I just shake my head when people try to sugar coat this reality and act like it isn't so. We need to be realist and act accordingly which is exactly what the campaign is doing brilliantly in my view.

    by jessica69 on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:36:10 AM PDT

  •  This should be sent to Olbermann

    by karenina044 on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:40:32 AM PDT

  •  Wow. I'd like to see West Virginians defend...

    ...that. I know the PC thing to do is say "but, but that's not representative of the state as a whole", etc., but I'm sick of hearing it. I am beginning to believe the West Virginia bashing is well deserved.

    by lams712 on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:49:17 AM PDT

    •  no one interviewed me

      Or my wife, or my mom and dad, or the co-worker I was just chatting with about the election.  
      I knew some racist assholes when I lived in NY.  I've never lived anywhere that was so conscious of ethnicity.  Cubans and puerto ricans hated each other, protestants and jews hated each other, everyone hated blacks and they hated everyone back.  If you were gay forget about it.  It was difficult because I had friends from all of those groups.  I could have never had all of my friends in the same room.

      by wvhillrunner on Wed May 14, 2008 at 12:14:38 PM PDT

      •  everything you say is true....

        ....but looking at the lopsided election results, coupled with the above video, along with the demographics of the state, added to the quotes I saw in the newspaper (one said that Obama was a muslim and one said that he wanted a "whole-blooded American" to be president) I think you and your family and friends are the exceptions to the rule.

        by lams712 on Wed May 14, 2008 at 12:24:15 PM PDT

        •  true

          But I really don't know anyone like these morons that the tv news crews seem to pull out from under rocks.  
          Yes, I know they are there, but this is not what you see on a day to day basis.
          The racism thing is an oversimplification of the way the vote went.  Those that are saying Obama can never win here because of racism are wrong.
          That being said, the state may still be a write-off for a number of reasons.  I hope not, but the last eight years have been disheartening.
          I can easily picture an Obama landslide that does not include WV.  

          by wvhillrunner on Wed May 14, 2008 at 12:36:09 PM PDT

  •  OMG , dumber than a bag 'a hammers

    But seriously, you could have made that video in any state in the union. Admittedly, it would be easier to find the bigots in some states than others.

    by CitizenOfEarth on Wed May 14, 2008 at 01:55:21 PM PDT

•  Lazy? He's working nonstop.

  I don't think that's the correct characterization of a strategy that the Obama campaign has put in place. So they didn't focus on West Virginia, that makes them ... lazy?

  by wonderama on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:08:49 AM PDT

•  Hopefully

  You will feel better about your vote after Obama receives the nomination.  There is no way to restrict the statements of suporters as all campaigns have learned.  Should Obama have spent more time in a state he had no chance of winning?  I do not know. Will he be trying very hard to connect to the people who voted against him yesterday?  I certainly hope so.  If you have been offended by some of the statements on this blog, I hope you can take a step back and see what happens over the next few months.  

  by mystic on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:09:29 AM PDT

•  Logical. Scary but logical.

  If the only thing people know about him is he 1) has a funny name, 2) had a radical preacher, and 3) doesn't wear an American flag lapel pin, of course people are not going to vote for him.

  by muledriver on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:09:33 AM PDT

  •  yeah but that entire comment

    is ignorant in itself...

    people that think patriotism is wearing a flag pin can stick it...that just shows plain stupidity....

    maybe he should denounce and reject his name in West Virginia...would that help?

    by tambora on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:11:23 AM PDT

  •  Now, for a serious response

    Obama could have camped out in WV and he still would have lost. He could a lowered the margin a few points but he was not going to win the State, any more than Hillary was going to win NC -- and she campaigned hard there.

    It is not a matter of laziness. It is triage. It is the same reason -- to use a trite analogy -- that a team benches its starters in the fourth quarter when they are 24 points behind.

    by muledriver on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:14:45 AM PDT

•  Why not just declare HRC the "queen of WV"?

  by LibGranny on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:10:48 AM PDT

•  wait a sec

  didn't hillary start with the not needing certain states?
  Obama made a political decision to move past West Virginia, just like Hillary did on a lot of caucus states. He should've probably made more of an effort, but he was only going to knock maybe 5-6 points off. I want him to secure a solid, double digit victory in Oregon instead of losing by 35 instead of 40 points in WV.

  by Secretasianman on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:10:49 AM PDT

•  Prioritizing is a good thing, no?

  In the grand scheme of things, why would Obama want to waste valuable resources in a state that is (1) not symbolic, and (2) could only push him from 20% support to 30% (maybe two delegates)?

  One would hope a President prioritizes. WV was not a priority.

  by TheOpinionGuy on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:11:33 AM PDT

•  A half-brained theory

  came to me before my latte this morning, so I give it voice with some trepidation.

  We know that in states where Obama starts out way down and he spends time campaigning, he closes the gap in a significant way, even if he doesn't win.

  I'm waiting to see how Kentucky goes, since it has had a bit more attention from Obama. I wonder if they're:

  1. Attempting to let Clinton have a few wins and earn some money to pay off her debts.

  2. Examining their own internal strategy about time spent in places where the misperceptions of him are the norm, and looking to put some hard numbers on the theory that face time = votes since they haven't conceded a state up until now. (How much more attention is given to Kentucky will prove or disprove this.)

  Going into Oregon this weekend, my personal mission is to make clear to people who may not vote because they think the primary is over that they still need to do so. There's something of that in the way that WV interpreted Obama's lack of time spent there, I believe. Obama voters may have figured, well, he's already won it and he didn't campaign as hard here, so he doesn't need us, while Clinton voters saw the narrative that a WV win would help her and came out in force. The comparatively low turnout numbers reinforce this.

  by Saska on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:11:37 AM PDT

  •  Also, let's not forget...

    West Virginia only allocated 28 pledged delegates.  That's not many at all, and half of what Puerto Rico gets.

    Next week, Kentucky has 51 and Oregon 52, nearly twice as many each as WV.  I'd expect them to get more attention.

    by Rorgg on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:16:42 AM PDT

•  It's a freakin' delegate race!

  That's why he didn't campaign there. Not enough delegates at stake. That and he's already the nominee. That and he would have lost anyway, so if he did put in a lot of effort there would have been more for Clinton to spin.

  by NMDad on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:14:24 AM PDT

•  should we talk about her ass-kicking

  in all the states she lost badly to him?

  Or is WV the only state that matters now?

  by tambora on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:15:44 AM PDT

  •  Shall we start with her birth state of Illinois

    by cwholcomb on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:17:22 AM PDT

•  I agree

  We've spent a lot of time on this site extolling the "50-state strategy" and ridiculing Clinton for dismissing certain states and/or demographics as being somehow less important, and then we go and do the same thing ourselves with respect to West Virginia and the Appalachian white vote.

  I think much of it has to do with minimizing its importance relative to who should get the Democratic nomination, which is legitimate. But following Obama's lead, now's the time to look towards the general election, and, yes, you are exactly right, there are not enough Starbucks Democrats to deliver the margin in November. We're going to need to get some Appalachian whites to vote for Obama, and I think we can, but it will take effort.

  by pragprogress on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:15:49 AM PDT

  •  He would have lost regardless.

    Obama could have spent 2 months camped out in WV and he would have still lost. The people of WV are not going to vote for a black man. That is the harsh reality.

    by jessica69 on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:17:37 AM PDT

  •  I agree on the demeaning characterizations

    but I think the perception that he blew off WV totally is just wrong.  Remember, he visited West Virginia (28 delegates) 3 times.

    Over the entire 15-month campaign:

    = He visited Kansas (32) just once
    = He visited Idaho (18) just once
    = He visited Hawaii (20) just once
    = He visited North Dakota (13) just once
    = He visited Maine (24) just twice
    = He visited Mississippi (33) the same 3 times
    = He visited Minnesota (72) the same 3 times

    And he won all those states by large margins.  So, that's no excuse for the voting pattern.

    by Rorgg on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:22:37 AM PDT

    •  terrific analysis

      n/t

      by tambora on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:27:50 AM PDT

    •  and he visited Alaska (13)

      zero times.

      Result:  Obama 75% (9), Clinton 25% (4).  

      by ancblu on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:55:44 AM PDT

•  We need to face the facts

  Obama lost WV because he is black. Racism is everywhere but where race is concerned time has stood still in WV.The majority of people in WV will NOT vote for a black candidate. That is not dissing WV, it is just stating a sad but true FACT. Even if Obama had campaigned there extensively the result would have been the SAME.He was never going to win there and anyone being truly honest knows this. We will NOT win WV in the General Election. They only have 5 electoral votes anyway. Time of the campaign is better spent in states where we can win like the places Obama is campaigning now like Missouri and Michigan. The campaign made a smart move to skip that place and move on. We are not going to change the racial attitudes in WV in a few months. We need to cut our losses and move on which is exactly what the campaign did. Brilliant move in my view on there part.

  by jessica69 on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:16:16 AM PDT

•  Huh?

  By the numbers:

  1. Lazy? You're kidding, right?

  2. WV loves the Clintons. (Me, I was sick of them by 2000.)

  3. White Appalachian voters (PA, WV, OH, KY, VA, NC, TN, GA) won't vote for black candidates. Who has the problem? The difference between WV and the other Appalachian states is that ALL of WV is in Appalachia. (Was JFK black when he went to WV?)

  4. You got me. Guess there's no generation gap in WV.

  I wish it were different, but it's not.

  by pinhighin2 on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:16:25 AM PDT

•  It isn't laziness

  ...it's politics.

  Politicians exist to win elections.  If he thinks he has more to gain by being somewhere else than he loses by not going to WV, then he's going to campaign elsewhere.

  That's the calculation he made.  Either he thinks WV really isn't important enough, or he didn't want to lose huge after putting a lot of effort into the state, or something else.  But it wasn't laziness.

  As for racism, well...this is the Internet, people tend to be kind of hyperbolic.  You're not the only one to be marginalized, you know.  My votes currently only counts as half since I'm a latte-drinking liberal who drives a Prius.

  by jforman on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:17:07 AM PDT

•  Too harsh...if Obama had really made a try at

  winning W. Virginia, which was a huge long-shot, the narrative would have been much worse for him.

  I actually agree he should have spent more face time in the state, for the fall, but they did have to try to control expectations and the narrative going forward to Kentucky and Oregon.

  by IndySteve on Wed May 14, 2008 at 11:17:15 AM PDT

•  Yet, Hillary clearly marked out WV as racist