Obama beats a federal prisoner by less than 20% in the West Virginia D. Primary.

[AmericanNation]

I just don't understand why West Virginia is still a democratic state. It seems they would have followed the rest of the south and switched allegiance to the GOP years ago.

Clearly the democratic party has become too progressive for them. Maybe 50 years ago the heart of the party lay in the small towns of West Virginia and the south, but now it resides in places like New England, inner cities and wealthy suburbs. The rest of the south sensed this shift years ago.

Yet, now WV has opted for the awkward position of electing senators and congressman who are almost constantly at odds with the base of the party- so you end up with Senators like Joe Manchin who aren't even sure if they'll vote for his party's nominee for president.

Folks in WV want their democrats to be pro life, anti gay, war hawks, conservative on immigration, fundamentalist christian, and friendly to coal and other big businesses. Now- I think the Democratic party has a big tent, but it's still not big enough to house a democrat like that who would be much more at home with the Republicans.

WV is unlike the rest of the south because a) it's pro-union, b) lacks racially polarized politics except when imported from a federal level, and c) lacked a well-off suburban or transplant population to form the nucleus of a Republican party.

did their Great-Great-Grandfathers registered them as democrats in about 1868 and no one has bothered to switch? LOL. The Union dynamic is interesting.  These are the people the democrats are orphaning off and the republicans are slowly gobbling them up.         

[AmericanNation]

for what its worth, someone was on TV last night saying that he did well enough to have a delegate pledged to him at the convention.  

[AmericanNation]

did their Great-Great-Grandfathers registered them as democrats in about 1868 and no one has bothered to switch? LOL. The Union dynamic is interesting.  These are the people the democrats are orphaning off and the republicans are slowly gobbling them up.         

I don't think they are Civil War-era Democrats, I think it's mostly a 20th century phenomenon. It's more like the Iron Range than like Mississippi (but not much like either.)

I didn't want to imply "Civil War-era Democrats" as much as "POST Civil-war Dems."  They became part of Dixie AFTER the war.  Combine in an early 20th century history of militant Unionism and no organic local GOP.

You could say it's All About Coal
http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2012/05/09/west-virginia-vote-was-all-about-coal/?mod=google_news_blog
but, I think it's more complicated.  "Coal" actually simplifies pretty complex issues now that I think about it. 

They apparently have no real state GOP party.  Thus, the state dem party maneuvers into the best position it can, which to an outsider looks like the GOP platform.  Odd Quarks for sure.  Kind of like a time warp / twilight zone.  West Virginia would probably be more like Kentucky if Coal and Union(history) wasn't so dominant.   

[AmericanNation]

Also, why would Obama be doing worse in West Virginia if he's doing better in Kentucky?

I meant to compare to rural/republican Kentucky that elects republican federal officers and state legislators.   

[AmericanNation]

I'm confused why Prisoner Dude won Hardy County.  It had a greater swing toward Obama in '08 than the nation as a whole.  Although it was also John Edwards's best county in the primary (16%) and among Obama's worst (43rd of 55).

did their Great-Great-Grandfathers registered them as democrats in about 1868 and no one has bothered to switch? LOL. The Union dynamic is interesting.  These are the people the democrats are orphaning off and the republicans are slowly gobbling them up.         

I don't think they are Civil War-era Democrats, I think it's mostly a 20th century phenomenon. It's more like the Iron Range than like Mississippi (but not much like either.)

The only difference being that voters in the iron range still came out for Obama and supported him about as much as any other democratic presidential candidate. Obama still dominated this region in 2008 and there was no swing against him as there was in WV.

WV Coal and MN Iron democrats may be similar, but only one group wasn't terrified by the color of his skin and his name.

but another difference is that the Iron Range didn't swing against Kerry in 2004.

I'll repeat that
the state dem party maneuvers into the best position it can, which to an outsider looks like the GOP platform.
Thus,
you get odd results in a national race that does not require a state party organisation.     

[AmericanNation]

I don't understand your reply.

I don't know what you don't understand so I would need you to help me help you in order to help you... 

As for Hardy county,
3,000 voters who vote
65% for Robert Byrd and
70% for George W. Bush 

[AmericanNation]

I'm confused why Prisoner Dude won Hardy County.  It had a greater swing toward Obama in '08 than the nation as a whole.  Although it was also John Edwards's best county in the primary (16%) and among Obama's worst (43rd of 55).

That area in the northeast of the state, which is traditionally Republican and agricultural, has a small but growing population of transplants from the DC area who are more affluent than the local population. The combination of numbers you cite suggests that some of them voted for Obama but are not participating in Democratic primaries, perhaps due to the state's closed primaries.

They have a transplanted Quad Graphics plant in that area as I recall.

Alcon, I thought I might spark some broad insight into the dynamic, but I now guess/realize you are just asking a specific question about the specific county.