West Virginia: Far From Heaven for Democrats

[Klukie]

Rhodes Cook is a veteran Washington political analyst who tracks national elections and voting trends and publishes a bimonthly political newsletter. Click here for Cook’s full bio.

One of the byproducts of the long-running Democratic primary campaign is that every week a new state or two get a chance to enjoy the national spotlight. This week, it was West Virginia.

Over the last two-thirds of the 20th century, this predominantly white, working-class stronghold was one of the most faithful members of the Democratic presidential coalition. It was one of 13 states to support Hubert Humphrey in 1968; one of 10 to vote for Michael Dukakis in 1988; and one of merely six states to back the re-election bid of Jimmy Carter in 1980.

Yet in recent years, that has all changed. A state that describes itself as “Almost Heaven,” has been anything but for Democratic presidential nominees. And it has produced a significant headache for the national party that exists to this day.

http://blogs.wsj.com/politicalperceptions/2008/05/16/west-virginia-far-from-heaven-for-democrats/

[anonymous171]

1. Repugs used wedge issues to get their votes, I see.

[NJSecularist]

2. As the national party moves more towards gun control and more towards equality for gays.

We can forget about West Virginia at the national level.

West Virginia is the very definition of a conservative Democratic state.

Hillary could win it on the back of her husband's name, but after that, we can forget about the state.

[Ron Green]

3. Fear-based

"Low information," "undereducated," "suspicious," "bigoted" ... many terms have been used around here to explain the reluctance of "Democrats" to support the likely Democratic candidate. My take is that Obama's vision offers a real change in the political landscape and it's just too scary for fear-based people.

We saw it in Mississippi in 1964, and almost everywhere in 1980. Love, tolerance, unity, personal and social growth - these are hard. Fear - that's easy. Even some "Democrats" can do it.

[rpannier]

4. So the wsj is being deceptive again

If you just read the headline, you'd think the Democratic Party was in retreat in West Virginia.
Yet, they acknowledge that at every level, other than voting for the president (in the last two elections) that the Democrats are fairly well entrenched as the Party in power in West Virginia.