West Virginia

[Filuwaúrdjan]

No.
I've ranted a lot about the Kerry campaign's idiocy as far as WV goes...

Summary: Kerry led in WV from the spring until the RNC... even after the RNC he was polling better there than nationally. But for some bizarre reason resources were being moved out of WV from the early summer at the very latest and by October there was sod all left. Kerry's numbers got worse as more stuff was pulled out so more stuff was pulled out etc, etc, etc.
The Kerry campaign acted in an arrogant way (espcially over re-directing resources to Virginia) and upset a lot of local Democratic and UMW bosses (these people run most of WV) and he failed to heed Byrd's advice on how to win WV ("...needs to get coal dust on his face..." etc, etc).
As a result turnout in the WV coalfields were some of the worst in the entire U.S (coalfield turnout actually fell in several counties).
And Evangelical turnout soared as a result of some evil little leaflets ("...Kerry wants to ban the Bible...") almost certainly distributed by disgruntled local Bosses.
I can go on and on about this for a disturbingly long time... most of it is from an extremely reliable source.
There's more I can add but that would look a little obsessive...

Meanwhile, Joe Manchin won a landslide in the Gubernatorial election and although the Republicans picked up a net total of 1 seat in each chamber of the legislature, this was a lot less than both parties had been anticipating.
The GOP did pick up the [open] Sec of State office. Both parties played a game of "Who can pick the worse candidate"... the Democrats won the game so the GOP won that election...

Btw, Bush won by 6% in 2000. The [Butler] swing this year was only slightly more Pro-Bush than nationally.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Yes, as the Democratic Party's renewable energy position has flipped  the coal miner vote.

Um... the Coalfield is and remains by far the most Democratic part of the state.
Try again.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

West Virginia voted for a Massachusetts liberal in 1988, so I think the state has changed, rather than the issue simply being the wrong candidate.

Remember that in WV they have Gubernatorial elections in the same year as Presidential elections.

In 1988, Arch Moore (R) was up for re-election and there were rumours that he was stealing millions from the state of WV (these rumours were true and Moore ended up in Jail).
He got stuffed 59-41 by Gaston Caperton (D).

Dukakis rode Caperton's coattails (and Bush sr. rode Moore's...)

[Filuwaúrdjan]

West Virginia voted for a Massachusetts liberal in 1988, so I think the state has changed, rather than the issue simply being the wrong candidate.

Remember that in WV they have Gubernatorial elections in the same year as Presidential elections.

In 1988, Arch Moore (R) was up for re-election and there were rumours that he was stealing millions from the state of WV (these rumours were true and Moore ended up in Jail).
He got stuffed 59-41 by Gaston Caperton (D).

Dukakis rode Caperton's coattails (and Bush sr. rode Moore's...)

You know a lot about West Virginia politics for a guy from England..

Disturbing isn't it? :-)

[Filuwaúrdjan]

It's hard to conceive that it voted for Dukasis back in 1988

Even then it wouldn't have but for Arch's embezzelment addiction

[Filuwaúrdjan]

I don't even think Bayh could win WV, maybe he could against the right GOP candidate.

But WV is over at presidential level, give it up Democrats.

60% of voters in WV are registered Democrats. To just "give it up" is criminal not to mention stupid.