On the Ground for Obama in West Virginia

[democrattotheend]

I went to West Virginia today with one of my coworkers to campaign for Obama. We went to Martinsburg, which is in the northeastern tip of the state, near the area where West Virginia, Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania all come together.

For a Jewish girl who grew up in New Jersey, West Virginia was a bit of a culture shock. Martinsburg is only two hours from my apartment in Northern Virginia, but it felt like it may as well be a different country. I had been to West Virginia once before, canvassing for Kerry in 2004, but the area we visited then seemed a lot more suburban and familiar than where we were today. Immediately upon arriving in Martinsburg today, we saw a car with a Confederate flag decal. Not exactly the most encouraging sign when you're about to knock on people's doors and tell them to vote for a black man.

I'd love to say my fears were unfounded, but those who say West Virginia is an uphill climb for Obama are not kidding. The first neighborhood we visited was sort of a cross between suburban and rural, with neighborhoods on one side of a main road and farmland on the other, though some of the farm land was being converted into housing developments. It was obvious that people had lived in that neighborhood for a long time, with one house bearing the name of the family and the year they moved in engraved on the front gates. I did not experience any overt racism, but there was definitely some hostility towards Obama. Most people just said "don't even bother" when I tried to give them literature.

The second neighborhood was a little better. The people at the headquarters had said that that neighborhood contained a lot of transplants from Maryland and Virginia, and it seemed a little more modern, younger, and more open to Obama. I did find one couple that was definitely voting for him, as well as a few genuine undecideds. People in that neighborhood were pretty nice, with a few people inviting me in (probably because of the rain).

The weirdest encounter I had was with a black man from Haiti, who claimed to be very educated about the candidates but was convinced that Obama is friends with terrorists and that the fact that Hamas said positive things about him is a cause for concern. I tried to refute his claims but he did not want to hear it. He also complained that he "did not want to vote for Obama just because he's black", and I pointed out that I'm white and I support Obama because I agree with his vision for this country and I think he possesses all the qualities of a great leader. I don't think I convinced him, but maybe he'll think about what I said.

At one point, we took a break from canvassing and went out to lunch at a restaurant called Shoney's. I think it's a chain that's popular in Appalachia...I had never been to one before, but I remember Al Gore mentioning it in a story he told when he spoke to a group of Congressional interns when I interned on the Hill in 2002. I asked our waitress if she was going to vote for Obama, and she said she hadn't decided who she was voting for. She said she was a registered Republican so she did not think she could vote in the primary, but it seemed like she was at least open to the prospect of voting for Obama in November. I knew West Virginia's primary was open to independents but I was not sure about Republicans, so I gave her some literature and told her to call the campaign to find out.

All in all, a bit of a discouraging day, but an interesting cultural experience for me. I'm glad I did it, just like I was glad I pushed myself to go to Raleigh two weeks ago when I was still depressed after Pennsylvania. One thing I will say about West Virginia - it sure is beautiful, especially at this time of year. The mountains of farmland and stately houses created a picturesque spring scene, and it sure was an enjoyable drive (at least on the way there. On the way back it was pouring, though I am hoping I may have won a couple sympathy votes for Obama by canvassing in the pouring rain).

Oh, and lest you think I am a bad daughter, please know that my whole family supports Obama and my mother and grandmother said that they would prefer that I go to West Virginia than drive up to Philly to be with them. I called my grandmother on the way back to wish her a happy Mother's Day, and she said she was proud that I was representing our whole family by being in West Virginia today, so that made me feel good.