Reader Posts

Between the Bible Belt and the Rust Belt, Runs the Onion Belt

By astral66 - May 11, 2008, 8:13PM

More West Virginians weigh in on Obama, from today's Financial Times article, Democratic Country Keeps Its Distance from Obama.

Leonard Simpson is a lifelong Democrat. But given a choice between Barack Obama and John McCain in November, the 67-year-old retired coalminer would vote Republican. “I heard that Obama is a Muslim and his wife’s an atheist,” said Mr Simpson, drawing on a cigarette outside the fire station in Williamson, a coalmining town of 3,400 people surrounded by lush wooded hillsides.

“If he is the nominee, the Democrats have no chance of winning West Virginia,” said Missy Endicott, a 40- year-old school administrator. “He doesn’t understand ordinary Americans.”

“The American people want a president who loves their country as much as they do,” said Whit Ayres, a Republican strategist.

Josh Fry, a 24-year-old ambulance driver from Williamson, insisted he was not racist but said he would feel more comfortable with Mr McCain, the 71-year-old Vietnam war hero, in the White House. “I want someone who is a full-blooded American as president,” he said.

The article goes on to point out the difficulties that Obama faces in West Virginia:

- No Democrat has been elected to the White House without carrying West Virginia since 1916
- West Virginia has the lowest college graduation rate in the US
- West Virginia has the second lowest median household income in the US
- West Virginia has one of the highest proportions of white residents, at 96 per cent
- West Virginia is hostile territory for Mr Obama because it has few of the African-Americans and affluent, college-educated whites who provide his strongest support.

Read the entire article here.

Comments (12)

Well then, we'll just have to find out about the legality of voting in the state of your college if your college is in West Virginia, won't we?

Posted by Scalfin
May 11, 2008 8:43 PM | Reply | Permalink

- No Democrat has been elected to the White House without carrying West Virginia since 1916

Fun fact, but not really sure what it means.

- West Virginia has the lowest college graduation rate in the US - West Virginia has the second lowest median household income in the US

I never know what to make of points like this... except that often lack of education leads to poverty. (The reverse need not be true.) The only real question is if ignorance is linked to lack of education...

- West Virginia has one of the highest proportions of white residents, at 96 per cent - West Virginia is hostile territory for Mr Obama because it has few of the African-Americans and affluent, college-educated whites who provide his strongest support.

Same disadvantage as in Iowa?

In the end, W VA is a state, and is part of the 50 states Obama will vie for. As for the voodoo (of the article, not you astral) of needing to win it because of factoids, well...

Posted by clearthinker
May 11, 2008 8:46 PM | Reply | Permalink

Aside from making a play on the rust/bible belt line in the article, and that the name of the first old guy quoted is Simpson, I've tried to keep my own opinion out this time. But like the info in my last post on the WV demographic, this article gives more of a look into WV attitudes towards Obama, and go a long way towards explaining why his poll numbers are so low there. The factoids are of also some interest in explaining the attitudes of the demographic.

I'm thinking that with Obama's 50-state strategy, he can easily become the first Democrat to win the presidency without the help of West Virginia.

Posted by Opus Hussein X
May 11, 2008 8:56 PM | Reply | Permalink

I was hoping it WAS The Onion.

Posted by Severus
May 11, 2008 10:06 PM | Reply | Permalink

The Onion - Election 08 - Candidate Profiles

John McCain

Awards:
Distinguished Flying Cross (Vietnam War); Silver Star (World War II); Bronze Star (Crimean War)

Thoughts On Torture:
Doesn't support stuff he couldn't handle

Saturday Night Live Appearance:
Solid

Where He'd Be If Not Running For President:
Dead

Inspiring Example:
Co-sponsored a campaign finance act with Democrat Russ Feingold, the aim of which is to leave every campaigner as broke as McCain and Feingold

http://www.theonion.com/content/whitehousewar/johnmccain

Posted by Opus Hussein X
May 11, 2008 10:18 PM | Reply | Permalink

CLINTON SHOULD START THIRD PARTY

As the Democratic Party has already written off Clintons, as their great era has been trashed and their dedication to the American Blacks has been thrown out by the Black Americans. As they are not liked by Liberal Democrats religious light, they should strat a third Party.
Look what happened to Joe Lieberman he fought against the Democratic establishment and he won!
I against Lieberman but Clinton's should defend themselves and after winning West Virginia they should go ahead and become a real populist Green Candidate of a Third Party.
She should not submit to the media conspiracy, and at least make history by breaking the two party system which has not accomplished anything and is anti-democratic.

Posted by INSURGENTONE
May 11, 2008 10:09 PM | Reply | Permalink