West Virginia treading more Repubican

[Da2017]

How West Virginia go from a solid blue to a solid red? Even Michael Dukakis won it even though he is liberal.

[MarkD]

The Democratic Party has trended strongly towards environmentalism, which includes a lot of contempt for coal mining.

[Fuzzy Bear]

The Democratic Party has trended strongly towards environmentalism, which includes a lot of contempt for coal mining.

This, and the fact that WV is a socially conservative state.  WV remained Democratic longer than the rest of the South and Border States due to the fact that it was not a right-to-work state and the United Mine Workers were a heavily Democratic constituency.  This ceased to be once the Democrats essentially began to advocate for an end to the use of coal.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

"Trend"?

[Chunk Yogurt for President!]

Democrats shouldn't be upset that KY and WV are turning away from them.  The KY and WV Democrats should be happy they were able to stay in power for as long as they did.

[Goldwater]

I find it weird that people call WV one the most socially conservative states. I guess maybe it has to do with "socially conservative" being one of those kind of vague terms, but I would think some place Utah, Oklahoma, or the deep south would be a better contender for most socially conservative.

[RINO Tom]

Why is it so hard to believe that the people who lived in a state FOUR DECADES AGO were quite simply just more liberal than the people who live there now?

[Goldwater]

Why is it so hard to believe that the people who lived in a state FOUR DECADES AGO were quite simply just more liberal than the people who live there now?

Parties change, people change, but sates... States never change.

[OSR stands with Israel]

This whole Democrats were the more conservative party before 1964 is laughable. How many times since 1896 was the Dem nominee more conservative then the GOP nominee , I can only think of one time(1904) where that was true.


Actually the Dems are more conservative now economically then they were pre 1992.

[RINO Tom]

Why is it so hard to believe that the people who lived in a state FOUR DECADES AGO were quite simply just more liberal than the people who live there now?

Parties change, people change, but sates... States never change.

Haha, seriously, though ... that's how half the site looks at it.  Vermont voted Republican by 17% in 1960 but then voted Democratic by 16% in 1992?!  The parties clearly, absolutely and completely switched platforms.  Nevermind that Vermont added over 173,000 new people (a 44% increase!) during that timeframe or that its religious and ancestry demographics fundamentally changed, it's just same old Vermont.

[Beet]

West Virginia is a naturally democratic state because the people there are in terrible shape and need help. It's not like Connecticut which should be a Republican state since the people there are rich. Unfortunately somewhere wires got crossed.

[Cashew]

Why is it so hard to believe that the people who lived in a state FOUR DECADES AGO were quite simply just more liberal than the people who live there now?

But muh Whig history narrative!

[Del Tachi]

WV probably offers the GOP a lot more room to grow.  If the White vote there starts to resemble the Deep South, I suppose it'd be near 85% GOP, no?

[ApatheticAustrian]

WV still hates "right-to-work", i would guess the GOP over there is also not really like the one in - say - alabama.

[NOVA Green]

At this point, I think the only trend in WV in 2020 will actually be towards the Democratic Presidential nominee...

Quite frankly, Clinton likely hit the absolute rock bottom of Dem support at the Pres level....

She was wandering around the bottom of mine shafts, dropped the map along with a few other members of her team.... A short time later another miner on her crew accidentally lit a cigarette in a Gas Pocket, and next thing you know the tunnel collapses.

There is no way to go but up..... find the air pockets, dig the way out of the mines with your fingernails and hands, hold your breath if needed, and hope that the rescue crew arrives before there are yet more Miners dead.

Slightly and less metaphorical note, Atlas has had a weird West Virginia obsession since I first joined back in early 2008.

We have had Democrats and Republicans alike trash and stereotype the state for ten years....

Time to let all that go....

If the Democrats choose to continue their current policy positions when it comes to focusing more on rhetorical issues involving gun policy to play up the numbers in the suburbs of Mass, NYC, VA, Chicago, etc.... it will be a losing battle not only in WV, Appalachia, and rural America writ large. Sure--- Nothing wrong with items like universal background checks (National Level), stopping criminals and drug gangs from buying assault rifles in Texas/Arizona/California to be able to reexport to support what is essentially a Civil War in Mexico, etc.... these are all things that most Americans and even a majority of gun owners will support.

"Rural Americans" is a tricky classification, since it includes both those that are significantly wealthy and chosen to enjoy the rural lifestyle, that have traded off their overpriced houses in the cities to have their own private xxx acres in the "country" as well as farmers, that includes both small and large, those that work and live off the land in heavily rural communities, and also a ton of small towns and cities  that have seen decent paying union manufacturing jobs disappear over the past decade or three...

I am absolutely 100% convinced that West Virginia, as well as many other parts of rural and small-town America will actually likely swing/trend more Democratic in 2020.... assuming the Democratic Party doesn't load up a double barrel and self destruct. Trends/swings were clear in 2012 (Although signs were obvious for anyone looking a few cycles before). The Democratic Party needs to get it's act together if they want to be competitive in 2020 at the Presidential level.

The warning signs are on the wall....

Meanwhile down in subvert city La Lucha Continua, regardless of Democratic nor Republican Administrations and Politicians.

[Dr. MB]

I find it weird that people call WV one the most socially conservative states. I guess maybe it has to do with "socially conservative" being one of those kind of vague terms, but I would think some place Utah, Oklahoma, or the deep south would be a better contender for most socially conservative.

Definitely. WV's on the right for sure, but my bet's on Mississippi or Alabama.