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John McCain won 1 percent of the Caucus Vote in West Virginia
When you hear the attacks made tomorrow about Barack Obama losing in West Virginia by a wide margin, please take a moment to remember that John McCain lost during the West Virginia caucus on Feb 5, 2008.
Mike Huckabee scored the first Super Tuesday victory, winning all 18 delegates at stake in West Virginia.
The former Arkansas governor won with the support of 52 percent of the state’s GOP convention delegates on the second round of balloting. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney came in second with 47 percent of the vote, and Sen. John McCain was backed by 1 percent of the delegates.
While I know caucuses are a bit different, the 1 percent of voters supporting McCain is so outrageous that nobody can question the fact that West Virginians -- do NOT LIKE John McCain.
So when you hear Hillary Clinton's camp claiming that no President has been elected without winning West Virginia, just remember McCain's in a lot worse shape then Barack Obama is there.
Comments (21)
I'm actually starting to feel bad for West Virginia. There's a narrative out there saying that the entire state is a racist backwater state filled with uneducated whites who would prefer to chew off their right arm before they'd pull the lever for a black man. It only helps Obama that Hillary herself is the one that's helped create the narrative.
May 12, 2008 11:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
Especially since I know people from WV and they are the sweetest, most intelligent, and non-racist people I've ever met. Luckily, they're also all very active in the state Democratic Party and Obama supporters.
May 12, 2008 11:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
Wow, a coyote reference. It's been years...
May 13, 2008 5:54 AM | Reply | Permalink
the irony of it all...west virginia became a state because they didn't want to side with virginia during the civil war...how is it possible that a state can REGRESS over 150 years?
May 13, 2008 12:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well, we ignore other factors when we focus only on race. Bill Clinton (who, we must remember, is the candidate here, not Hillary) is beloved by WV Dems. They are the second oldest state in the union and they want Bill back. The vast majority of Hillary voters (inlcuding every man who has cast a vote for her) are Bill voters. The so-called women's vote (i.e. women, of any age, who are voting for her solely because of her gender) is actually small. Older women in WV who are voting for her are voting for Bill, just like their male counterparts. What, do we think that WV all of a sudden became progressive and decided to elect a woman?
When we view this race in the correct posture, meaning a primary contest between Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, it is unlikely that Obama could have won these WV or KY primaries no matter what is color. Same with PA and OH. They are hankering for the past and living in the past.
Now, am I saying there is no racism in these states? Of course not. I'm not stupid. I'm simply saying that NO democrat would win a primary contest against Bill Clinton in those two states.
May 13, 2008 5:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'd be interested in seeing what polls in WV say if comparing McCain to Obama and to Clinton. I went to Real Clear Politics to look but they didn't have any info. I think that would be telling.
May 12, 2008 11:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
I remember when that happened and it was widely reported at the time that because McCain didn't receive enough support to be "viable" he told his coordinators via the telephone to ask his folks to vote for Huckabee for the reason cited in the link.
What may or may not make this indicative of anything, I was under the impression that there was just one meeting for the entire state, so I don't know how representative it may be, but it could bode well for November.
May 12, 2008 11:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
Connie, thanks for the heads up. I will actually have several people to talk off the ceiling tomorrow night. Nice to be armed.
May 13, 2008 5:55 AM | Reply | Permalink
If McCain’s campaign claims that he wasn’t receiving enough support to be viable, and that he told his coordinators to ask folks to vote for Huckabee --- don’t swallow this nonsense.
John McCain has been in the Senate for many years. He ran for President in 2000. He’s very well known. West Virginia simply didn’t like John McCain and/or his policies.
May 13, 2008 8:57 AM | Reply | Permalink
Okay. I was wrong.
I believe Iowa Democrats and at least the Dems in some other states require a candidate to garner at least a certain percentage to be "viable", but West Virginia Republicans reportedly require someone to get at least 50% to be declared the winner.
According to Eric over on the main blog, McCain received 16% on the first ballot, Romney 41% and Huckabee 33%. Then, according to the NYTimes and other sources, McCain asked his folks to vote for Huckabee to take the state away from Romney and that's how Huckabee got to 52% and McCain dropped to 1%.
Only 1,200 delegates made the choice for the entire state, so the whole thing has to be taken with a grain of salt. anyway. Though, you still have a good point and anything anybody gets above 1% or 16% puts them ahead of McCain.
May 13, 2008 10:31 AM | Reply | Permalink
Well, "viable" wasn't the right word, but your larger point that 1% isn't an accurate measure of McCain's support is important. Getting 30% against one opponent as the presumptive nominee isn't necessarily better than getting 16% against three opponents while the nomination is still up in the air. Meanwhile, while virtually all the Republicans will probably support their nominee, I don't think the same can be said for Democrats who didn't vote for Obama, who have shown in the last two elections that they are willing to cross party lines at the presidential level (Kerry only won them 69-30). It's not McCain's best state, but we shouldn't fool ourselves into thinking Obama is in better shape than McCain. It's better to emphasize Obama's advantages in the true swing states in the West and Midwest.
May 13, 2008 12:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
You might also mention the fact that Barack Obama only made one visit to West Virginia. He is busy trying to run his General election campaign against John McCain.
Hillary's refusal to face facts -- that she's lost, has caused Obama and the Democratic Party precious time.
May 13, 2008 8:57 AM | Reply | Permalink
Coonsey - I agree that the ongoing primary has cost the Obama campaign, But a democratic process can be ugly if everyone voice is to be heard.
As long as Hillary maintains some non-destructive tone to her end game, the party should be able to heal quickly and hammer McCain in the fall. Now someone just needs to tell that to the Clintons ;-)
May 13, 2008 12:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
If you want current state-by-state information on ALL possible matchups, you need to go here:
"http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/"
May 13, 2008 12:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well if the people of WV are so non-racist, then I'm sure they will reject Hillary's race-baiting narratives about how "white people" vote for her.
If a politician made that claim about me, I'd be sure to vote against them. People who vote for such a race-baiter probably don't disagree or not enough.
So judge WV but what WV does.Hillary has provided the narrative. See if they go along.
May 13, 2008 1:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah, I kind of feel sorry for the redneck-stereotyping happening to West Virginians, too. About five years ago, I was in WV for a week, driving and hiking. The white West Virginians we met actually were pretty hostile to us. (The few black WVans we met were normal.) The white WV women we met would be nice to us if we bent over backwards to be friendly, but the men were pretty implacably hostile. They refused to even acknowledge my presence when I tried to speak to them or buy something. It got so the white guys I was travelling with would get out of the car every time I did, and accompany me everywhere, so I wouldn't be alone with the sullen hostility. The WVans were unfriendly to them too, but at least they would speak to them.
At the same time, I kept getting phone calls from friends in New York. Every single time (these are calls from maybe five or six different New Yorkers), when I told them, "I'm in West Virginia," I got the same response: "West Virginia? Why would you go there? They marry their sisters there, you know. Have you seen Deliverance?"
I did have some sympathy for why they might hate outsiders. For some strange reason, a lot of West Virginians seem to think we're a bunch of arrogant *ssholes who look down on them ...
I was only there for a week. I don't really know what to make of the experience. Wouldn't be in a rush to go back, though.
May 13, 2008 2:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
If John McCain or some other Republican had said what Hillary said about HARD WORKING WHITE American's voting for THEM --- they would have gotten treated like Geraldine Ferraro did.
It's a FACT.
Hillary's gotten away with a LOT of comments like this that most GOP members could not have.
May 13, 2008 2:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
That is a very good point. No one realizes that!!!!! I was reading a post on YourThreeCents.com and wanted to get your opinion
WHEN WILL WE ALL WAKE UP
May 13, 2008, 1:13 pm
Posted by mark in Election2008
AS INE WHO HAS SPENT A LIFETIME DEFENDING WHAT THE UNITED STATES WAS FOUNDED ON AND IS SUPPOSED TO STAND FOR,,,,I THINK ITS TIME "WE THE PEOPLE" WOKE UP TO THE REALITY OF OUR COUNTRY'S SITUATION.
1. THE GOVERNMENT, REGARDLESS OF PARTY, COULD CARE LESS ABOUT THE PEOPLE ON THIS NATION.
2. THE CANDIDATES WE HAVE IN THIS ELECTION, ON BOTH SIDES, MOVE THEIR LIPS AIN WHATEVER DIRECTION SUITS THAT PARTICULAR DAY. LEADING ME TO BELIEVE, THE ONLY THING TWO OF THEM WANT IS TO BE THE "FIRST" WHATEVER. ON THE OTHER SIDE, MCCAIN IS COMPLETELY WISHY WASHY ON EVERY ITEM. RON PAUL WILL NEVER BE ALLOWED TO BE PRESIDENT, BECAUSE HE TRIES TO CHANGE THE STATUS QUO, AT THE DETRIMENT OF THE RULING CLASS.
3. OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM IS UNDERMINED BY POLITICAL ISSUES EVERYWHERE.
4. THE GOVERNMENT HAS ALLOWED OUR ECONOMY TO GET CLOSE TO ANOTHER DEPRESSION.
5. THEY FEED US THIS LINE ABOUT THE PRICE OF OIL PER BARREL,,,,,IN CASE YOU DIDNT KNOW EVERY OUNCE OF CRUDE OIL IS USED,,NOT JUST FOR GASOLINE,,,,THE OIL COMPANIES ARE LYING TO THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE COST VERSES A GALLON OF GAS.
6. AS I RECENTLY RETURNED FROM IRAQ,,,,I CAN TELL YOU THIS IS THE NEW GENERATION'S VIETNAM,,,AND YES IVE BEEN IN BOTH.
7. OUR COUNTRY IS BEING TAKEN OVER BY FORIEGN INVESTORS AND ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS,,,WHILE THE GOVERNMENT TRIES TO ALLOW THOSE PEOPLE TO TAKE AWAY FROM OUR SOCIAL SERVICES, TO INCLUDE SOC SEC,,,WHICH NON OF THEM HAVE PAID INTO.
8. MEDICARE IS A JOKE,,,HOSPITALS CHARGE WHAT THEY WANT AND MEDICARE PAYS MOST OF IT,,(IE,,,TOO TYLENOL @ $6.00 EACH,,,,GIVEN TWO AT A TIME,,,SAY 3 TIMES A DAY,,,,,,JUST USE 1 MILLION PATIENTS DAILY) DO THE MATH FOR 365 DAYS ,,,I THINK YOU WILL FAINT.
FINALLY,,,,LET ME SAY WE HAVE ALLOWED OUR POLITICAL PARTIES TO SURCOMVENT THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES AT EVERY TURN. THE SUPREME COURT NOW MAKES LAW INSTEAD OF INTERPERATING THE CONSTITUTIONALITY OF "LAWS" PASSED BY CONGRESS. THE CONGRESS DOES NOT FOLLOW THE RULES SET DOWN IN THE CONSTITUTION FOR THE PASSAGE OF LAWS. THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH, THROUGH PRES ORDER MAKES LAW, AND STATES THAT CHECK AND BALANCES DOES NOT APPLY TO THEM.
I SAY AGAIN WE MUST WAKE UP BEFORE ITS TOO LATE,,IF IT IS NOT TOO LATER ALREADY
Comments
Posted by Pan Mun Jong
on May 13, 2008, 1:21 pm
Yet another
Are we MAD AS HELL
Yet?
and indeed, I don't know who originated the bit,
but
If you are not outraged, you are not paying attention!
psssst
is it time to storm the bastille?
or?
May 13, 2008 2:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's bad enough that this rant is not at all cohesive and it's typed out in readbility-killing ALL CAPS. But "surcomvent"? Really? The ranter couldn't find a dictionary?
May 13, 2008 5:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
Get thee to a comvent, sur.
May 13, 2008 5:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
ARGH!
ELITISTS YE BE! WRITIN' IS FOR THE DANDYS AND THE POOFTAS IN THE CROWD!
REAL PIRATES COMMUNICATE BY FARTIN'.
THE BIG STINK POLICY!
WENCH HILLARY WILL BRING BACK THE CORPORATE RAIDER 1990S!
ACQUIRE! MERGE! MARAUD! DILUTE! DILUTE!
ARGH!
May 13, 2008 10:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
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