Democrats outnumber Republicans almost two-to-one in West Virginia - yet this state joined the Republican "red" column for the third consecutive time in Tuesday's presidential balloting, while electing mostly Democrats locally.
The Mountain State was out of step with the national surge of support for change in Washington. Voter turnout actually slumped here, dropping below 60 percent, in contrast to America's upswing.
What's going on? Why is Democrat-dominated West Virginia different from other Democratic states? Why did Mountain State voters care so little about this crucial U.S. election? Are multitudes of West Virginians DINOs, Democrats in Name Only, on national issues? Why did they prefer the Bush-Cheney GOP ticket in 2000 and 2004, and the McCain-Palin team in 2008?
During the primary election, Appalachian prejudice was blamed partly for the poor showing by black Democrat Barack Obama. But in the general, he drew the same share of West Virginia votes that white Democratic nominee John Kerry did in 2004, and only slightly less than white Democratic nominee Al Gore got in 2000. So racism didn't seem to be a major factor.
"I don't attribute his performance here or his loss here to any horrible racial undertones," Democratic consultant Mike Plante told reporter Alison Knezevich.
Nationwide, young voters under 30 are being hailed as a decisive factor is Obama's historic victory. Since West Virginia has America's most aged population, the scarcity of youthful balloting evidently hurt Obama here.
Similarly, African Americans across the nation voted almost unanimously for Obama - but West Virginia has one of the tiniest minority populations. That base of support was lacking.
Did white evangelical "Bible Belt" values - the celebrated Three G's: God, guns and gays - sway an exceptionally high ratio of West Virginians? Fundamentalists generally vote Republican, and the addition of Pentecostal Sarah Palin to the GOP ticket magnified this effect.
The looming question is: Has West Virginia moved permanently into the "red state" category, identifying with the party that favors the privileged elite? Or will Mountain State families - mostly working-class, struggling folks - eventually rejoin the party that favors working-class, struggling folks?
We hope future elections find West Virginia Democrats returning to their roots.
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1. A failed president who on yesterday said, "I'm a market guy, but..."
2. Wall Street captains in search of help.
3. Conservative bankers in hope of rescue.
4. General Motors and their Detroit cousins. Remember when it was, "what's good for GM is good for America." I guess so now!
5. Pragmatic insurance execs who are praying for gov't relief.
Isn't it interesting that when they have their hands out, it's Keynesian economics, but when it's the out of work coal miner, the factory worker who has been down-sized, or the struggling mother of two with an AWOL husband, it's socialism.
I find it interesting that there were notmany people in WV protesting when Bob byrd was bringing "pork," or federal administrative functions to the state. Put lipstick on the pig, and it is still gov't pork; or is it a hippo, as in "hippo-crit."