WP: Bush's Industrial Policy Key in WV

[MountainLaurel]

Retired steelworker John Bodonski was a lifelong Democrat when he switched allegiance in 2000 and voted for George W. Bush for president. He won't do it again.

"I wouldn't send my dog -- I wouldn't go across the street to see Bush," said Bodonski, 55, said. "I don't care what he does now. He's gone. He's history."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A8667-2004Jan11.html

So DUers, what role will people like this play in 2004? Is there hope of getting the junta out?

[Hawkeye-X]

1. WV and Ohio are the newest

blue states for us. Now we've got to grab more red state.

Hawkeye-X

[aquart]

2. I keep saying: Show me ONE person you know who didn't vote for Bush

in 2000, and IS voting for him in 2004.

Where are his votes coming from? Except Diebold?

[lovedems]

5. My dumb-ass ditto head brother

He is still on the "Clinton lied" bandwagon. He is a politcal idiot.

[Catfish]

3. I live in WV

and I would like to be more optimistic about it going Dem this year. However, I see that people tend to vote more on social issues and there is a fatalism about the job prospects here ever improving under any administration. There is a large elderly population who care about religion, guns, and abortion. Unless they really feel that SS and Medicare is in danger, I don't see them going back Dem. and this county votes Dem. on the local level overall. Plus, the state party is moribund. The only reason Capito won was that the candidate running against her really didn't have a good campaign and wasn't supported well by the party so then 2 years later, he runs again! All he really had was a lot of personal wealth to spend. Gov. Wise's affair didn't help much either. Weirton is really more part of SW PA politically than it is part of WV. Sorry for the pessimism but I don't see WV going blue but I'll do my best to have that happen.

[MountainLaurel]

4. A girl can dream, can't she?

I'm trying to be as optimistic as possible, lest I hit a major depressive episode and decide not to leave my apartment for a few weeks.

I too am going to do my best to make it blue, though I'm next door in VA: gonna get my family to a voting booth if I have to drive 240 miles and drag their collective ass myself.

Let's gooooooo Mountaineers!

[theHandpuppet]

6. I have to agree with you...

Sorry to say this is another West Virginian who doesn't see the state going Dem in 2004. Guns, gays and abortion seem to be all that a majority of folks around here care about. Of course, the fact that the job market is disappearing, health care is going the way of extinction, the schools are flat busted and their own sons and daughters are dying in a war for oil makes no difference. The Lord has seen fit to make GWB his "appointed one" (gag me) and I'm afraid the fundamentalists and Pentecostals outnumber loyal Dems here. Logic has nothing to do with it. I wish I had a nickel for every bumper sticker sround here that read, "God, Guns & Guts Made America -- Let's Keep All Three."

Lastly, beware Shelley Moore Capito. I believe this RW whacko has much greater aspirations. The Dem party in WV better wake the hell up and start running some viable candidates or this state will be lost to the Repugs for a LONG time.