CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Why do West Virginia Democrats vote for Republican presidents? After the 2006 election, Sen. Jim Webb of Virginia wrote in The Wall Street Journal, "Working Americans have been repeatedly seduced at the polls by emotional issues such as the predictable mantra of  'God, guns, gays, abortion and the flag.'"

Obama was criticized for a remark in which he suggested working-class Pennsylvanians become frustrated with their economic condition, yet cling to guns and religion, or "antipathy to people who aren't like them ..." to explain why they didn't vote for him in the primary. For many West Virginians coal is also a gateway issue, synonymous with jobs, and threatened by environmentalists concerned with global warming.

Yet Obama won in Pennsylvania, and he did not do much differently here than Al Gore, who lost to "values voters," or John Kerry, who tried to do a balancing act on the Iraq war. Can Democrats counter some of these concerns for more West Virginians in future elections? Defining issues in clear-cut black and white terms has been a Republican strength. Democrats tend to ask voters to think about shades of gray, to be critical thinkers. In West Virginia, white voters with no college education voted heavily for John McCain, while if they had even some college, they voted as often for Obama.

Each voter finds a personal reason to vote for or against a candidate. Why don't more West Virginians vote their pocketbook? Despite the evidence that Republican policies do not benefit low- and middle-income families, they have managed to paint Democrats as "tax-and-spend liberals" who will take away and spend their money. Doesn't seem to matter that the taxes will go to programs to benefit low- and middle-income families. Shades of gray.

The NRA spends millions saying the Dems would "take away your guns." Yet Gore, Kerry and Obama all supported the right of Americans to own guns for hunting and self-defense: rifles, shotguns, handguns. Automatic weapons? Not so much. Stricter regulation to keep them out of the hands of criminals and the mentally ill? You bet. Shades of gray.

Religious leaders with strong views on abortion and homosexuality ally with cynical moneyed interested in supporting Republican candidates. Democrats argue that the abortion rate can be brought down through education and better health care including better access to birth control, and that historically, legal or not, women will seek abortions. They argue that the Constitution supports an individual's right to choose a partner to share life and death and hospital visits. Shades of gray.

Republicans appeal to the patriotism of West Virginians by claiming Democrats do not support the military and would be weak on national security. It is a hard truth that our government sometimes lies, even about taking us to war. Supporting war policy or its management and supporting the troops are conflated into one issue: patriotism. Kerry had a hard time explaining that love of country could lead to protesting an unjust war. Kerry and Obama had to explain the legislative process having voted for bills to "support the troops" before they were amended and they voted against them. It is not easy to explain that it is not unpatriotic to leave Iraq to sort out its own problems. Shades of gray.

Technology to reduce carbon emissions of coal (weirdly shortened to an oxymoron: clean coal) has been the industry's rallying cry. They want the government to subsidize the effort (what happened to using corporate profits for research and development?). Democrats elected to state offices must first pass the "I support coal" test. Obama acknowledged that in a proposed cap-and-trade system to reduce carbon, power plants that didn't find ways to burn coal cleanly would face bankruptcy. Meanwhile, West Virginia is well situated to take advantage of wind energy and cleaner natural gas. Democrats ask why we should be giving tax advantages to big oil and coal companies. There are good jobs for West Virginians in developing a new energy future, though they may require more education. Shades of gray.

We are dead last among states in percent of college graduates. Living in small rural communities and listening to voices in your home, church and on the radio waves that describe the world as good or evil, issues in black or white, and citizens who disagree with your positions as anti-American can make it difficult to see shades of gray. Maybe our high schools could do a better job teaching critical thinking, social studies and economics to help students approaching voting age discern and debate issues. Apparently having some college education can sharpen the vision. Education is key to a better economic future for West Virginia as well as to an informed electorate. Tired of seeing red? Let's get more West Virginians to college.

Epstein is a teacher in Kanawha County.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Why do West Virginia Democrats vote for Republican presidents? After the 2006 election, Sen. Jim Webb of Virginia wrote in The Wall Street Journal, "Working Americans have been repeatedly seduced at the polls by emotional issues such as the predictable mantra of  'God, guns, gays, abortion and the flag.'"

Obama was criticized for a remark in which he suggested working-class Pennsylvanians become frustrated with their economic condition, yet cling to guns and religion, or "antipathy to people who aren't like them ..." to explain why they didn't vote for him in the primary. For many West Virginians coal is also a gateway issue, synonymous with jobs, and threatened by environmentalists concerned with global warming.

Yet Obama won in Pennsylvania, and he did not do much differently here than Al Gore, who lost to "values voters," or John Kerry, who tried to do a balancing act on the Iraq war. Can Democrats counter some of these concerns for more West Virginians in future elections? Defining issues in clear-cut black and white terms has been a Republican strength. Democrats tend to ask voters to think about shades of gray, to be critical thinkers. In West Virginia, white voters with no college education voted heavily for John McCain, while if they had even some college, they voted as often for Obama.

Each voter finds a personal reason to vote for or against a candidate. Why don't more West Virginians vote their pocketbook? Despite the evidence that Republican policies do not benefit low- and middle-income families, they have managed to paint Democrats as "tax-and-spend liberals" who will take away and spend their money. Doesn't seem to matter that the taxes will go to programs to benefit low- and middle-income families. Shades of gray.

The NRA spends millions saying the Dems would "take away your guns." Yet Gore, Kerry and Obama all supported the right of Americans to own guns for hunting and self-defense: rifles, shotguns, handguns. Automatic weapons? Not so much. Stricter regulation to keep them out of the hands of criminals and the mentally ill? You bet. Shades of gray.

Religious leaders with strong views on abortion and homosexuality ally with cynical moneyed interested in supporting Republican candidates. Democrats argue that the abortion rate can be brought down through education and better health care including better access to birth control, and that historically, legal or not, women will seek abortions. They argue that the Constitution supports an individual's right to choose a partner to share life and death and hospital visits. Shades of gray.

Republicans appeal to the patriotism of West Virginians by claiming Democrats do not support the military and would be weak on national security. It is a hard truth that our government sometimes lies, even about taking us to war. Supporting war policy or its management and supporting the troops are conflated into one issue: patriotism. Kerry had a hard time explaining that love of country could lead to protesting an unjust war. Kerry and Obama had to explain the legislative process having voted for bills to "support the troops" before they were amended and they voted against them. It is not easy to explain that it is not unpatriotic to leave Iraq to sort out its own problems. Shades of gray.

Technology to reduce carbon emissions of coal (weirdly shortened to an oxymoron: clean coal) has been the industry's rallying cry. They want the government to subsidize the effort (what happened to using corporate profits for research and development?). Democrats elected to state offices must first pass the "I support coal" test. Obama acknowledged that in a proposed cap-and-trade system to reduce carbon, power plants that didn't find ways to burn coal cleanly would face bankruptcy. Meanwhile, West Virginia is well situated to take advantage of wind energy and cleaner natural gas. Democrats ask why we should be giving tax advantages to big oil and coal companies. There are good jobs for West Virginians in developing a new energy future, though they may require more education. Shades of gray.

We are dead last among states in percent of college graduates. Living in small rural communities and listening to voices in your home, church and on the radio waves that describe the world as good or evil, issues in black or white, and citizens who disagree with your positions as anti-American can make it difficult to see shades of gray. Maybe our high schools could do a better job teaching critical thinking, social studies and economics to help students approaching voting age discern and debate issues. Apparently having some college education can sharpen the vision. Education is key to a better economic future for West Virginia as well as to an informed electorate. Tired of seeing red? Let's get more West Virginians to college.

Epstein is a teacher in Kanawha County.