What happened to Al Gore in West Virginia in 2000 (and to the Democrats since?)

[sg0508]

Was there something specific that happened to turn WV against Gore and since then, away from the Democratic Party in presidential elections? Note that Democrats continue to do very well down-ballot in the state.

Unlike it's neighbor VA, that clearly showed a weakening GOP position even in 2000, there seemed to be no signs that in WV.  Clinton won there convincingly by 14 pts and 15 points in '92 and '96, respectively. 

For all the harping about FL in 2000, Gore blew it by losing WV, a state that like HI, NEVER went for Republicans outside of massive landslides.

[BaconBacon96]

Gore was perceived as more liberal and more elite than Clinton, which I would imagine didn't go down well with the people of West Virginia.

[JRP1994]

Gore blew it by losing these states, all of which he had the potential to win.

[TDAS04]

Gore was not perceived as a friend of guns or coal.  

[Potus]

Democrats despise our very way of life. It's not just one or two issues. The people here are deeply faithful. It's not just that Democrats support abortion and gay marriage. They disdain the entire notion of faith in public life. Al Gore was an elitist who belittled us on social issues.

It wasn't only their disgust for our culture, they also attacked our economic livelihood. Democrats are dedicated to killing off our energy economy and ruining the family finances of thousands in our state. Democrats are generally against West Virginia. That's why they lose.

[IceSpear]

Democrats despise our very way of life. It's not just one or two issues. The people here are deeply faithful. It's not just that Democrats support abortion and gay marriage. They disdain the entire notion of faith in public life. Al Gore was an elitist who belittled us on social issues.

It wasn't only their disgust for our culture, they also attacked our economic livelihood. Democrats are dedicated to killing off our energy economy and ruining the family finances of thousands in our state. Democrats are generally against West Virginia. That's why they lose.

Except that doesn't explain why you have two Democratic senators and a Democratic governor.

[Mr. Illini]

Gore was one of the first candidates to be perceived as anti-coal, which has defined the national Democrats' performance there and in eastern Kentucky since.

[Antonio the Sixth]

It was bound to happen at some point. West Virginia, and Appalachia in general, had been trending rightward for a while due to the increasing salience of cultural issues, the decline of labor activism, and the Democrat's neoliberal turn. The retirement of a folksy popular incumbent President and his replacement by an aloof and uncharismatic candidate provided the perfect storm.

[CapoteMonster]

Al Gore is very environment friendly and that hurt him big time in coal country, a region that Manchin won by 20 points in his 2010 senate race. I don't think abortion hurt Gore as much as guns since he was associated more with the assault weapons ban than cultural liberalism.

[Podgy the Bear]

Democrats despise our very way of life. It's not just one or two issues. The people here are deeply faithful. It's not just that Democrats support abortion and gay marriage. They disdain the entire notion of faith in public life. Al Gore was an elitist who belittled us on social issues.

West Virginia is the reverse of the New England states--where the perceived Republican disgust for the culture against New England has caused a shift politically to the Democrats.   There will be some back and forth (especially in New Hampshire and Maine), but the potential 30+ electoral votes, 12 Senate seats, and 20+ House seats of the six slow growth states in New England largely neutralize (and more) what the slow growth states of Kentucky, Arkansas, and West Virginia provide.

Eventually, West Virginia will go in a similar direction below the presidential level.  Capito will win the Senate seat this year--and the Republicans will probably get the other seat when Joe Manchin vacates it.

[henster]

Democrats despise our very way of life. It's not just one or two issues. The people here are deeply faithful. It's not just that Democrats support abortion and gay marriage. They disdain the entire notion of faith in public life. Al Gore was an elitist who belittled us on social issues.

It wasn't only their disgust for our culture, they also attacked our economic livelihood. Democrats are dedicated to killing off our energy economy and ruining the family finances of thousands in our state. Democrats are generally against West Virginia. That's why they lose.

Here we go with the broad generalizations.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

Eventually, West Virginia will go in a similar direction below the presidential level.

By that time, the state will become so depopulated that it won't matter much except that it still gets 2 senators.

[SWE]

Democrats despise our very way of life. It's not just one or two issues. The people here are deeply faithful. It's not just that Democrats support abortion and gay marriage. They disdain the entire notion of faith in public life. Al Gore was an elitist who belittled us on social issues.

It wasn't only their disgust for our culture, they also attacked our economic livelihood. Democrats are dedicated to killing off our energy economy and ruining the family finances of thousands in our state. Democrats are generally against West Virginia. That's why they lose.

Except that doesn't explain why you have two Democratic senators and a Democratic governor.

You're joking, right?

[IceSpear]

Democrats despise our very way of life. It's not just one or two issues. The people here are deeply faithful. It's not just that Democrats support abortion and gay marriage. They disdain the entire notion of faith in public life. Al Gore was an elitist who belittled us on social issues.

It wasn't only their disgust for our culture, they also attacked our economic livelihood. Democrats are dedicated to killing off our energy economy and ruining the family finances of thousands in our state. Democrats are generally against West Virginia. That's why they lose.

Except that doesn't explain why you have two Democratic senators and a Democratic governor.

You're joking, right?

Nope. I know there are vast differences between West Virginia Democrats and national Democrats, but his post made no such distinction.

[Phony Moderate]

The cultural war of the past ~20 years has done for the Democrats in states such as this; a European social democratic party would come closer to victory here.

[Indy Texas]

Robert Byrd also did zero campaigning on Gore's behalf; he may not have even explicitly endorsed him. Supposedly he privately supported Bush in 2000.

[KCDem]

Robert Byrd also did zero campaigning on Gore's behalf; he may not have even explicitly endorsed him. Supposedly he privately supported Bush in 2000.

[citation needed]

[buritobr]

West Virginia was Republican between 1896 and 1928. Was WV a northern state that time?

Even during the time of Democratic hegemony, except 1964, the Democratic candidates in West Virginia never had Massachussets and Rhode Island margins.
In 1972, Nixon won WV by 63.6/36.4, the same of 2012.

["'Oeps!' De blunders van Rick Perry Indicted"]

Byrd endorsed/campaigned with Gore a few days before the election.