Was WV going to Bush seen as a fluke?

[Don Vito Corleone]

Although George W. Bush did win West Virginia by 6% in 2000, Robert Byrd won re-election with over 70% of the vote the exact same cycle, and Senator Jay Rockefeller did the same in 2002. So my question is, was Bush winning WV in 2000 seen as a fluke, or were people aware the state was going hard to the Republicans?

[America's Sweetheart ❤/𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕭𝖔𝖔𝖙𝖞 𝖂𝖆𝖗𝖗𝖎𝖔𝖗]

I think it was largely seen as a fluke. it wasn't until 2004 and afterwards that we saw that 2000 was the start of a trend and not just a fluke because Gore was a terrible candidate.

[Dr. MB]

I was reading old Atlas posts from early 2004 and came across a thread (not sure which one though) where several posters were thinking it was a fluke, and WV would likely go Democratic in 2004. So yes, by many at least, it was seen as a fluke.

[RINO Tom]

I think it was largely seen as a fluke. it wasn't until 2004 and afterwards that we saw that 2000 was the start of a trend and not just a fluke because Gore was a terrible candidate.

The trend started in 1988, though.

Even so, it was one of the very few states that voted Democratic that year, and it was solidly Democratic for the next two elections.

[RINO Tom]

I think it was largely seen as a fluke. it wasn't until 2004 and afterwards that we saw that 2000 was the start of a trend and not just a fluke because Gore was a terrible candidate.

The trend started in 1988, though.

Even so, it was one of the very few states that voted Democratic that year, and it was solidly Democratic for the next two elections.

Obviously, but he was talking about its Republican trend. I’m sure you and Rocky would have rated it Lean D in 2004, though.

And?  My point is, if Rhode Island becomes some GOP state someday, no one would say it started in 2016 just because it technically *trended* that way (a very overrated metric, IMO).  Also, I didn't rate any Bush 2000 state Lean D in 2004, as I thought he was going to win in a bigger landslide than he did.  Also, I didn't *rate* any state in 2004 because I was a normal seventh grader who liked PE and girls.

[erſatz-york]

I think that Republicans will win RI someday.

[America's Sweetheart ❤/𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕭𝖔𝖔𝖙𝖞 𝖂𝖆𝖗𝖗𝖎𝖔𝖗]

I think that Republicans will win RI someday.

Republicans will win literally every state "someday".