Why a HUGE loss in WV won't hurt Obama

Say Obama loses WV 66-33 or even 69-30.  Sounds bad, right?  yeah, maybe.

Say it's even worse: 72-28 [ouch!].  This PROVES hillary's line that whites are racists and won't vote for Obama, right?

Wake up.  All hillary is doing is making a laughing stock out of West Virginians!  Do you think voters in NY, NJ, CA, CT, NC, IN, etc. care what WV voters think?  Obama is polling better in almost every blue state than hillary.  She's losing her grasp on many who voted for her months ago, before they really saw Obama--OR hillary--for what they are.

Think Lil' Abner.  Think Beverly Hillbillies.  This is how America will see the voters in WV [probably KY too] because of the lopsided scores in those states for hillary.  

Personally, I feel bad for the people there; they don't deserve to be used by the clintons this way.

I used to spend a lot of time in West Virginia before my disability, hiking, camping, just looking out into the most beautiful scenery on Earth--which is saying A LOT since I live in Port Angeles, WA!  It would take the people there a few years to get used to Obama; they are not racists as much as they are zenophobic, to some degree.

I just want to be clear: I do not consider the people there hillbillies.  They are just rural people living in an area where real estate doesn't change hands very often, where folks live their entire lives in small communities, and living off the land is the predominant way of life.

It can be a hard place to live; harder if you have ambitions of being 'important' in this world.  It is a backwater, and you either love it for that or you move on.

hillary is using these people to demonstrate her racist theories of American culture.  For this I am further disgusted with her, but not surprised.  If WV were voting the same day as Minnesota--she'd have to shut up about 'hard-working white people', because she'd be losing big in a 98% caucasian state.  But politically opportunistic and racist to the end, hillary is holding West Virginia up as proof of her racial theories.  Goebbels would be proud.

So folks, Obama will not really suffer for losing BIG in WV.  The bigger the loss the more attention it will bring, the more ridicule, to the 'hicks' in West Virginia.  hillary lost the white vote in Indiana, except for those 65+: a group that has a hard time accepting change.  She couldn't make her caucasian eugenics argument work for her in Indiana, so she's going to abuse the voters in West Virginia.

It is only a measure of how despicable this witch really is.

•  The reason WV won't hurt Obama

  is that the media narrative is already set as "He will lose big, but it won't make any difference."  

  by someotherguy86 on Fri May 09, 2008 at 08:27:46 PM PDT

  •  Also I think that Obama

    has either a bunch of superdelegates or a high value super delegate to roll out on Wednesday morning.  That will change the conversation.

    by Kitty on Fri May 09, 2008 at 08:45:02 PM PDT

    •  Also there are only 28 delegates total, she won't

      get them all and at the huge blow-out win she gains maybe 60,000 popular vote on him.  That's why it doesn't matter.

      by ourhispanicvoices on Fri May 09, 2008 at 08:58:15 PM PDT

  •  Yep...at this point the only suprise would be...

    ...if he didn't get mauled...a 62-38 loss could be spun as a win of sorts, which is sad...she would gain a whopping 5 delegates...

    by Aqualad08 on Fri May 09, 2008 at 08:58:00 PM PDT

    •  He's made up more than her margin this week

      in supers since Monday.  21 and counting.....

      by 57andFemale on Fri May 09, 2008 at 10:26:20 PM PDT

•  it won't matter

  cuz he is the nominee

  by oscarfrye on Fri May 09, 2008 at 08:28:30 PM PDT

•  I somewhat agree

  I was telling my hubby that a HUGE loss in WV will just prove that it is because of racial (whatever) tensions, divides, racism, ignorance...

  I mean losing 70-30 there is no other way to describe a loss like that

  what can he do?  Some people will not ever vote for him because of the color of his skin...

  but think ahead in 2012...maybe we can make progress and President Obama runs again and these states come around

  by tambora on Fri May 09, 2008 at 08:29:08 PM PDT

  •  but

    using this logic, then Barack Obama's only reason for winning North Carolina was the 40% African-American vote that went is his favor because of racial (whatever) tensions, divides, racism, ignorcance.

    I mean, some people will only vote for Barack Obama for the color of his skin!

    If I hear one more person rant about how Clinton is gaining votes because whites are prejudiced against Barack Obama, and then in the next sentence ignore the fact that Barack Obama is likely only winning many African-American's because they are prejudiced favorably towards his skin color. AARGG

    by SaintPeter on Fri May 09, 2008 at 08:40:17 PM PDT

    •  Do you not see any difference

      in being proud of a candidate because you and that candidate share some common status -- especially one that had been devalued before now -- and being hostile to that candidate because he or she has a status you dislike?

      If not, then talk to all of the women who, entirely understandably, favor Hillary largely due to that similar pride.  (You think they're man haters?)

      by Seneca Doane on Fri May 09, 2008 at 09:24:07 PM PDT

  •  my point is, WV voters will be called ignorant

    but the truth is, they just need time to get used to change.  This is not a place where CHANGE is seen as a good thing.

    hillary is depicting it as a racial phenomenon, but it isn't.

    by Zacapoet on Fri May 09, 2008 at 08:43:54 PM PDT

    •  Well, there's progressive West Virginians I'm

      sure, and I feel sorry for them for the sterotypes they have to endure. And that will be re-inforced in the upcoming primary. I wish them the best against all the snickering which is about to errupt.

      by Zebras on Fri May 09, 2008 at 08:47:55 PM PDT

    •  I love this diary,

      thoughtful and well reasoned.

      by kpardue on Sat May 10, 2008 at 12:31:30 AM PDT

•  the only reason it will matter because it will

  soothe Hillary's ego and hopefully, she'll exit shortly thereafter.

  by byteb on Fri May 09, 2008 at 08:30:18 PM PDT

•  Who cares?

  by tazz on Fri May 09, 2008 at 08:38:02 PM PDT

•  Xenophobic n/t

  by EmmaKY on Fri May 09, 2008 at 08:38:53 PM PDT

  •  I have a thing for z's. zzzzzz

    by Zacapoet on Fri May 09, 2008 at 08:40:40 PM PDT

•  In the end

  it's just another opportunity in which to advance society that the Clintons have foregone for their indominable love of themselves.  It's sad really.

  by huckleberry on Fri May 09, 2008 at 08:39:01 PM PDT

•  It's been amusing watching the Clintons spin

  this upcoming contest:  

  1.  If he loses by more than 15 points(NC win), it shows he's in big trouble and can't win.

  2.  He's greatly outspent us here.

  3. West Virginia is a key swing state.

  by Leftovers on Fri May 09, 2008 at 08:41:02 PM PDT

•  It'll get Mississippi and Wyoming style coverage

  The networks barely covered those contests as they were foregone conclusions. I highly doubt you'll see Chris and Keith counting down to the closing WV polls.

  May 20th is where it's at. That should get decent coverage as it's D-Day. Many folks will be curious as to what Obama will say and do after an Oregon victory. There'll be speculation at who might show up at his victory rally.

  by jamtown on Fri May 09, 2008 at 08:42:12 PM PDT

•  I believe most if not all SDs have decided

  who they are going to support irrespective of the outcome of the last six primaries. I do not believe the last six primaries will impact the outcome. HRC will receive further endorsements, I am sure. But, she will not reeceive the number of SDs to prevent Obama from obtaining the nomination.

  by sweetliberty on Fri May 09, 2008 at 08:42:13 PM PDT

•  I agree, and laugh when remembering....

  It's kind of like how the pundits tried to use the racially polarized outcome in Mississippi to bring up the whole white versus black meme. I just had to laugh, as they were doing their best to pretend like what happens in Mississippi represents anything except what happens in Mississippi. (And even there, he got nearly 30% of the white vote.)

  So, I'm suspecting about a 35-65 split comming out of WV.

  by Zebras on Fri May 09, 2008 at 08:44:43 PM PDT

•  I agree that Clinton is beyond reprehensible for

  this.  I can't put into words how dismaying it is that in 2008, a Democratic candidate is attempting to prop up her lost campaign with a "Vote White!" argument aimed at regressives.  It really is just beyond words.
  
  Hopefully this summer, via the 50-state voter registration drive, there can be some face-to-face contact there; some real dialogue, and a real invitation to join a national consensus that things have got to change in this country, and every one is going to be expected to ask more of themselves and participate in that change.

  by GN1927 on Fri May 09, 2008 at 08:51:02 PM PDT

•  I'm sure West Virginia appreciates your concern.

  eom.

  by burrow owl on Fri May 09, 2008 at 08:56:12 PM PDT

•  BTW Minneota is 88% caucasion

  and we are very hard working white people as explained by our lunatic representative Michelle Bachmann:

  I am so proud to be from the state of Minnesota. We’re the workingest state in the country, and the reason why we are, we have more people that are working longer hours, we have people that are working two jobs.

  Bachmann’s version of the American Dream is apparently working two full-time jobs and struggling to get by.

  by no expert on Fri May 09, 2008 at 09:18:38 PM PDT

•  Good thing WV doesn't mean anything

  by realwischeese on Fri May 09, 2008 at 09:25:34 PM PDT

•  I would be very careful

  WV residents have the right to vote any which way they chose and to imply it’s because of race does them a great disservice.  I have spent a lot of time there and in KY and my feeling is that they remember President Clinton fondly and are loyal to his wife.  Both states are full of tough people and there is no doubt HRC is tough and they respect that.

  I am republican Obama supporter and here is my advice for my liberal/progressive friends, your biggest liability is your intellectual arrogance when dealing with common folk, try to look at these people as equals and try respect their point of view, work with them and try not to condescend because honestly your view of the world is not superior to theirs, just different.

  Obama is going to lose WV and KY by large margins, prepare yourself for that and get ready for the general.

  by rinojg on Fri May 09, 2008 at 09:25:42 PM PDT

  •  do they

    walk on two legs in West Virginia?

    Maybe Hillary should run for Governor there, to get a little experience of her own . . . working with her peers and equals . . .

    by Deward Hastings on Fri May 09, 2008 at 09:33:12 PM PDT

    •  I just spit out my water....

      that was funny

      by tambora on Fri May 09, 2008 at 09:48:03 PM PDT

  •  It's not arrogance to recognize some of these

    folks will be voting their fears and that Hillary is playing off of that.

    In my opinion, it's condescending for a olitician to appeal to racial fears in voters in these states for political gain. It suggests that they can't rise about that level of political discourse.

    Obama will do what he's done best this campaign, resist spin, call a win a win, a loss a loss and move on.

    by griffon2k on Fri May 09, 2008 at 10:19:31 PM PDT

  •  Basically correct

    There's a fine line between respecting the people here in my beloved home state of WV and pandering to their parochial prejudices.

    As a lifetime yeller-dog Dem and Obama supporter, I have to agree with my RINO friend that our more progressive comrades sometimes fail to walk that line.

    The local and national GOP wingnuts (and now Senator Clinton) are all about encouraging the worst excesses of local ignorance, xenophobia, and so on and using it as a tool for demogougery. They have gotten very good at it.

    We must develop a better way to object to "the sin" (bigotry, intolerance, etc.) while not mocking or disrespecting the sinner!

    by prfb on Fri May 09, 2008 at 10:33:15 PM PDT

•  You're right. n/t

  by 57andFemale on Fri May 09, 2008 at 09:54:04 PM PDT