Remember West Virginia where Obama never had a chance and was safely McCain?

[grantcart]

http://www.pollster.com/polls/wv/08-wv-pres-ge-mvo.php

[tekisui]

1. That is hard to get my head around.

I hope they blow my mind!

[Nikki Stone1]

2. It's the economy, stupid.

And the market crash.

[grantcart]

12. how dare you call me stupid

that's my wife's exclusive.

[cliffordu]

17. You said I could call you that just the other day.....

cheater.

[grantcart]

22. yeah but not Nikki

[vaberella]

32. Have you guys been hanging around McCain? ^_^ Too funny. n/t

[cliffordu]

33. Hmmm....M'kay.

[bluestateguy]

3. It is time to start going after West Virginia

But is sounds like the Obama campaign in that state is just getting started. They just brought in the state coordinator a couple of weeks ago.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

44. .

dupe

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

45. I attended the opening of the office

amazing turnout. they had so many people show up that there was a spillover crowd of 50 on the sidewalk outside who stuck around to cheer it on.

i'm not the biggest fan of our DINO governor Manchin, but he came out hard for Obama. all of our statewide candidates were there to show support as well (except Rockefeller, as he was in DC-though he's appeared here with Barack in the past).

In my hometown of Huntington, I see Obama signs everywhere. So far just one Mccain sign. Tons of Obama stickers on cars. Non McCains yet.

Last poll here had Obama 39, McCain 44

[livetohike]

4. Wow! Joe Biden should head down there and make a few

appearances, or Bill Clinton and Barack together. This is amazing, imo.

[1corona4u]

5. I think they were just there...

[Staph]

9. We haven't seen any one from the Obama campaign

since the primary. And we only saw Obama once before he wrote off the state as hopelessly Hillary-centric. Despite popular opinion on this site, we aren't a part of the South. Though we take our religion seriously, we are generally not off-the-deep-end fundamentalists. And we are no more racist than anywhere else in the country (and much less than some!).

There are offices being opened. I just hope it's not too late.

[RollWithIt]

40. Ok, let me ask this to you point blank, do you really believe WV will vote for a Black Man for Pres

I'm not saying it isn't possible, I just find it to be highly unlikely. And considering WV's low EV count, is it worth dumping money into WV that could be used for more important states?

[MindMatter]

34. Exactly. Even if it isn't really winnable, create a news buzz

The story line would be that the race is changing and that Obama has McCain on teh run. That could become a self-fulfilling prophesy that could add a point or two in other states like IN, OH and PA.

[livetohike]

37. I agree

:toast:

[PVnRT]

6. But....I thought he had a problem with white working-class votes?

That's what the media is still trying to push, and they're always right!

[Aloha Spirit]

7. What about all the voters who said they supported HRC because Bill would

be there to take care of business.... basically saying women are unfit for the job?
Same in Kentucky primary election reporting.

Some of that reporting was like opening a time capsule.

[Aloha Spirit]

11. Also, remember how well John Edwards and Huckabee did!

Huckabee--
http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/02/05/paul-eliminated-wva-gop-convention-voting-ends-without-winner/

[denem]

14. But that's it - They don't think John McCain is long for this world

and can't abide the thought of President Palin. And in this case, they're right.

[Overseas]

8. You mean they realize John Sidney McCain III's real motto is-- Country Club First ?

You mean they realize

the guy in the $520 loafers, with too many homes to count,
who dumped his first wife to marry an heiress,

and the gal with her own tanning bed, $2300 jackets,
and a "1st Dude" husband who wants Alaska to secede from the union,

just may not relate to their daily lives?

[Cha]

10. Rec'd! West Virgini!

Don't know how or why but :toast: :patriot:

[Peacetrain]

13. West Virigina was always in play for Obama

Obama who is in every state, did not campaign in the mountain states because of Hillary. This is not relighting the primaries. It is just that whether these politicians get mad at one another or not, they do things like this, especially when it is obvious of where the outcome was going, to let the other have the sun on their backs as they bow out.

This whole idea that Bill, Hillary and Barack hate each other to the core is just not true. Oh they were mad, fought tooth and nail. But in the end, they have a bigger job ahead and it is united. I am not surprised in this at all. The idea that all rural whites would not vote for a man because he is black, is another one being floated by the republicans, to try and suppress the vote by having minorities and college students think that it's an impossibility (so sad sad that is just the way America is, sad sad aka Armey article)so why even vote.

West Virginia was the state that broke the back of the anti catholic vote that then sent John Kennedy into office.

Boots on the ground and whether we win the state or not, We will get it the next election. This is a big picture election like none I have ever been involved in.

And I LOVE it :)

[grantcart]

16. I agree people try and over extend what happened in the primaries

it also confirms that Hillary continuing to fight in the later primaries forced Obama to set up in states he normally wouldn't have. McCain never had to do anything in WV and has no organization there now.

[Peacetrain]

18. This really is that big tent election!

[27inCali]

15. this poll is a few days old

this shows how West Virginia was polling before the market crash.

where do you think those numbers are at now?

[grantcart]

19. I agree but even the poll before it was showing only 5 point difference

If the next polls show Obama actually ahead in WV I should think that it would cause a sensation in the media because he was considered to be so far out there.

[phleshdef]

20. Speaking as a person who lived in WVa until I was 18 and still visits family there...

I still have a lot of doubts that Obama will win WVa but I am shocked that any poll would show it even close.

I grew up in the highly racist, southern part of the state and I knew people there that would want to kill me for being an Obama supporter. I'm not even joking.

But, the few populated areas of the state such as Charleston or Morgantown tend to be a lot more open minded, so maybe thats helping.

I'll tell you this though, if Obama really wanted to put the state in play, he would go down there and speak about reforming the coal industry and putting more restrictions on the horrible practice of mountaintop removal.

[grantcart]

24. sounds like a job for Joe Biden

[Major Hogwash]

21. Those are very clear trends in West Virginia.

I'll bet they're a lot like this in Virginia, too.

[TheKentuckian]

23. I've always had mild hope it was doable

WV is hurting and always looking to move forward. I've talked to tons of people and small business owners there over the past couple of years. They are looking forward more than backwards, even the little people who know the web is leaving them behind and the fundamentals of the economy are weak.

I was shocked at the number of engineering firms and green tech start ups in WVA.

[bermudat]

25. Please, West Virginia? I don't\can't believe that for one nanosecond.

I'm all for putting on a happy face and all, but West Virginia? That's like saying Mississippi God

Damn will go for Obama. Lets concentrate on the real swing states and stop with these fairy tales.

[Forkboy]

26. It looks like a "greater than" symbol.

Which would only be fitting, as Obama is greater than McCain. :)

[wvbygod]

27. You're welcome

There is a reason I oppose the dimwits that attack WV as racist...I have to help get a Democratic President
elected here. To those that insist upon posting their bigotry against the good people of WV,
I say "can it" until after November or come here and see the diversity for yourself.

[abumbyanyothername]

42. Yes we can.

Yes we can!

[bullwinkle428]

28. WHAT??!?1? VOTERS ARE PAYING ATTENTION TO ECONOMIC ISSUES??!?!

:crazy:

[Leftist Agitator]

29. West Virginia will NOT go for Obama in November.

As much as I'd like to see it, it's never going to happen.

[AlinPA]

31. If Obama takes WVA he wins the election. nt

[MindMatter]

35. So what? It is all about perceptions and buzz

Obama doesn't need the WV electors to win. If he can create the PERCEPTION that WV is truly in play, this has a HUGE psychological impact on the race all over the place.

If the media believe it is in contention, that has to affect how they cover the horse race everywhere else.

[Blondiegrrl]

39. He's forcing John McCain to spend money here.

McCain ads are ALL. FREAKIN. OVER. the teevee. The old dude must be pouring cash into this state. By contrast, I've seen only one Obama ad, and that was just within the last week.

[ChiciB1]

30. Soooo, What About Nevada??? n/t

[BklynChick]

36. those are beautiful lines.

[WI_DEM]

38. up until 2000 WVA was a dependable dem state (even went to Dukakis) in pres elections

I'm hoping we can return it to where it really should be.

[donnrfl]

41. im from morgantown,

and i would LOVE to see this state go blue. my whole family and many of my friends will be voting obama. plus i havent been polled, neither has my family that im aware of, so that bumps his percentage even higher right? ;-)

[woolldog]

43. Sorry, Obama has no chance there.

His unfavorables are through the roof there and I doubt he'll get more than 45% of the vote to McCain's 55%. That would be a good showing for Obama there.

To wit, 35% of WV voters view Obama "very unfavorably"; 22% view him somewhat unfavorably".

That means only 44% of the electorate there has a positive view of him. Which means that in order for him to win a fair number of those who loath him would have to vote for him. that's extremely unlikely. Unfortunately, the high unfavorables set a ceiling on his support there.

[qwlauren35]

46. What a beautiful chart!

That made my morning.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

47. We're more winnable for Obama than Georgia

I wish the campaign would take the wasted resources In Ga, where the polls aren't close, and put at least some of them into WV.
Maybe he wins here. maybe not.
But it's already close and that's one more state McCain considered safe, but would have to defend and spend $$$.

[TheDonkey]

48. great news!