West Virginia Primary: Clinton Expected To Win

West Virgina Democrats go to the polls Tuesday, where Sen. Hillary Clinton is expected to win easily over rival Barack Obama. Clinton has been campaigning hard in West Virginia, despite the fact that most Democrats now believe that Barack Obama will be their party's nominee:

The two candidates campaigned across West Virginia on Monday, with Mrs. Clinton's motorcade driving more than two hours through the winding hills of Appalachia, where she courted a relatively small number of voters in hopes of driving up her expected margin of victory. She is counting on a big victory to impress undecided superdelegates, the party leaders who will most likely decide the nomination.

Mrs. Clinton also wants to show strength in Kentucky and West Virginia -- states Democrats have struggled to carry in presidential elections -- not to mention, advisers say, pointing up what the Clinton campaign sees as the weakness of the Obama coalition. But advisers acknowledged that even if she won those states by wide margins, it was probably too late to change the dynamic of the nominating contest in her favor.

Poll Closing Times: Polls in West Virginia will be open from 6:30am to 7:30pm ET.

Pledged Delegates: 28 pledged delegates are at stake on Tuesday.

Latest Polling: A Suffolk University poll Monday showed Hillary Clinton with a 36-point lead over Barack Obama. Clinton leads Obama 60 to 24.

Comments

[CuriousPerson]

It's truly sickening to see Hillary supporters spout off that Obama cannot win without Hillary's votes.
Are you saying that if Hillary isn't nominated or on the ticket all 16million (so you say) people who voted for Hillary will either stay home, or vote for McCain?

If that's the case, what does that say about them? In all honesty, what does it say?

It's also interesting to note that , if Hillary wins, none of you are saying Hillary will win the general despite Obama's supporters not voting for her.

Is this because you feel his supporters will still vote for her? If that's the case, what does that say about his supporters?

I find it interesting you say his supporters are zombies, Obamabots, and kool-aid drinkers, yet you admit, by omission, that they would still vote for your candidate.

So which is it... will his supporters support her if she's the nominee, or will she be able to win without his supporters? If it's the former, I ask again, what does that say about his supporters, if it's the latter, that means that as bad as you feel he is, to be alienating her voters, she's no different.

[msmaggie]

Well I find it hard to follow your logic, but I think that this Clinton supporter, who will vote for Obama, can make a reasonable case that Obama needs Clinton supporters; that doesn't mean she has to be on the ticket--I don't see that happening. It means she has to work for him and that he has to reach out to her voters.

Isnt' this the same Obama who keeps talking about change, and working with all Americans and delegating the "old style politics" to the dust bin, healing old wounds? Or was that all just a bunch of horse shit?

[Amminadab]

Obama supporters don't really buy into his rhetoric.

That much is clear.

[KQuarksSuperKollider]

Change is not putting someone on the ticket who practices "old style politics" like Hillary who actually practices Rovian politics. That's why she is a poor fit on the ticket because she is the antithesis of Obama's message.

[blubastian]

Is this much different than the Obama supporters promising to riot in the streets if their man is not nominated?

[k6007]

I don't think Obama's supporters listen to Rush Limpballs.

[KQuarksSuperKollider]

Some in fact only a few of her supporters are trying extortion as a last resort to get Hillary in the white house even though it would be as a VP. If rolls were reversed and Obama supports demanded that Obama should be on the ticket you would all cry blackmail.

[Rumba]

Logic 101...Clinton will beat Obama tonight.. yes = No relevance to Obama versus McCain anywhere on any subject.
These are two unrelated situations. Blue collar workers see Republicans as the cause of their problems not the solution. A high school kid could beat McCain.
Do Americans need a compulsive liar, a person obsessed with power, delusions of grandeur, overt 60's sexist views?
Someone who was a Republican supporter for years, who worked for a notorious "nuke 'em til they glow" Republican senator?
Someone who was married to a Governor then a President worth over $100 million, but who has no compunction in describing a black from a poor family as "Elitist"?
Someone who struts around proudly declaring she shot a "banded duck"?
Someone who said she ran from sniper fire but who really walked with her daughter on a freebie trip to hear a little girl read poetry?.
Good luck America.
Thank your lucky stars Obama showed up to lead your country from old time politics into the present century.
For the sake of yourselves, and the rest of the world do not replace the worst president in history with this monstrous person.

[msmaggie]

Oh no.....the sky really IS falling....

And while I will happily vote for Obama, I really think "thanking your lucky stars" is a bit adolescent: despite the fact he is just soooo dreamy. Oh my knees are just going weak..

[BWonka]

Buty there are a lot of 'adolescents' here who say they will vote for McCain because Hillary didn't win. That selfishness should make your kness really weak -

[KQuarksSuperKollider]

The real candidate in trouble here is McCain. Obama is his worse nightmare. Even Dick Morris previous Democrat now Republican said if Clinton got the nomination it would be worth it for McCain to run hard for the presidency because he has a chance but if Obama gets the nomination it's over.

[EinChicago]

Its true. if Obama wins the nomination it is over. McCain can go on vacation right now and still win in November.

[VAMTS]

Ein you have been wrong in every prediction you have made. Thanks for ensuring Obama's victory

[Paris68]

Is Morris a really a Republican or just the ultimate Clinton-hater. He just seems like a bitter man from the time he spent on her payroll. I'm saying this as an Obama supporter.

[WarrenChristmas]

The WV primary is a baseball game where the score is 10-0 in the 9th inning (Obama ahead by 10 runs).

Hillary will use WV & Kentucky to gain 5 or 6 runs, but Obama will tack 5 more runs onto his 10 with his Oregon victory.

Hence the final score will be Obama-15, Hillary-6.

The fact Hillary keeps on damaging the Democratic party with her phantom drive to the White House speaks volumes to why Obama should not choose this woman to be his VP.

And before TV news & Republicans start with the "Why can't Obama close the deal" crap, Obama already has the deal closed.

[KQuarksSuperKollider]

WV has 18 delegates total. Obama got nearly 30 delegates in a week. Chuck Todd had it right last week after the IN and NC primaries the elected delegate part of the Democratic nomination process was about over because there are more super delegates than pledge delegates left.

[EinChicago]

W.Va has 28 delegates. Seriously, you spout of numbers that you just make up as you go along in virtually every post.

[msmaggie]

Well if you're using an analogy, it bears noting that even in a 10-0 game, you play all 9 innings. And the notion that TV news is pro Hillary is laughable. Nonetheless, this is one Hillary supporter who is saying: Obama 2008

[blubastian]

I sure hear alot of talk about balls from the Obama supporters. Is there a reason for that?

[Gma11]

Sports analogies are often used by those who love sports. Quite simple.

My 14-year old granddaughter's softball team just qualified for their national tournament on Sunday!! I'm thrilled.

I love sports. Love my Packers!! And all the sports my grandkids are in. So such analogies are easy for me to relate to.

[BWonka]

Because Carviolle said Hillary has big ones.

[frankky]

W.Virginians don't bother to vote for Hillary because your vote will not count, what ever delegates
she will gain in W.Virginia Obama already made them up with super delegates the last few days.
She's toast...

[KQuarksSuperKollider]

We have to face facts by the end of the nomination process Obama will win 32 of the 51 states plus DC that will vote in the general election. Sending a candidate that won only 19 primary states would be political suicide for the Democrats. I even included FL and her Castro election in MI. The big state strategy has failed us versus Bush twice. You can talk about EVs all you want but it just shows Hillary does not have the universal appeal that Obama does not only to Democrats but to Independents and yes some Republicans. Obama wins the battle of Independents over McCain while Clinton loses the battle of Independents versus McCain. And Obama consistently gets 50% more Republicans than Clinton.

[BWonka]

Wasn't she the one who told us the small states don't matter? Then (no offense to the people of W.V.) since this is a small state, why should it matter?

[JohnKemp]

Isn't he the one who told us that Hillary would win PA, he would win NC and that IN was to be the swing state?

[CuriousPerson]

What's your point exactly?

[zundra]

To have a tie breaker you have to actually be tied. But don't let all that reason and logic confuse you though.

[KQuarksSuperKollider]

Troll alert. Yes with Obama IN and NC are in play.

[kdublya]

Indiana was a swing state. It netted Sen. Obama 27 superdelegates.

[BWonka]

Which doesn't refute the fact that she told us W.V. ISN'T important - except that now she says it is. Flip-flop flip-flop....

[julieeiluj]

I gotta tell you, Obama better be nice and make her his running mate. She has just as many popular votes and all the mandatory win states under her pantsuit. Do whatever it takes to win this thing in November.

[truesoccermom]

The racists who won't vote for Obama are not going to vote for him just because he puts HRC on the ticket. (A lot of these people don't really like Clinton, they just don't want to vote for a black man). I say we don't need or want their votes.

[msmaggie]

This is such a dangerous attitude. True there are racists who won't vote for Obama, but the danger is painting all who did not support him with that brush. People really hate that, you know?

The party is pretty evenly split, ergo the nominee, Obama, needs to work hard to make sure he garners all Hillary's supporters. The notion I pick up on some of these posts (not this one) that Obama doesn't need the Hillary supporters is interesting. And by interesting I mean, hey do the math. With those supporters he will win walking away.

[psgoodguy]

i'm curious as to why, when white people don't vote for obama, it's called racist. but when an even more overwhelming and disproportionate number of african-americans won't vote for hillary it's called....nothing.

[sclucie]

My 95-year old mother supports Hillary. She has has 25 greatgrandchildren (biracial - including Cameroonian, African-American, Latino, Phillipino, Jewish, Jewish-Japanese, and Creole) who she loves deeply. She's hardly a racist. My brother, who supports McCain fills out her ballots. I do not support Hillary, and I believe her statements were reprehensible, but I do not believe the vast majority of her supporters are racist.

"The African-Americans all vote for Obama because they are racist" is nonsense too. Did black Americans vote 90% for Al Gore because they were confused and thought he was black? Or 88% for John Kerry?

Let's start looking at the truly terrifying platform John McCain is suggesting - and demand that the media start looking too. There's a reason why Elizabeth Edwards is shocked by his health care plan - I am too. I would have no insurance. There's a reason why a conservative like Pat Buchanan says that McCain will make Cheney look like Ghandi. He is not moderate - he has the most radical, far-right agenda I have seen in my lifetime - and it's not just about pro-choice. It's about an imperial presidency, a never ending war, and health care completely controlled by industry. And I used to like McCain - before I started researching what he intends to do to my country. He's flip-flopped on every issue he has ever stood for.

[k6007]

And give the GOP what they've been praying and working for all along? Noooo, there are Others that can reach out to Obama's weaknesses. Webb, Strickland, who do no come with GOP talking points already laid out.

[BWonka]

So you are willing to scarifice the well being of our Country just to have your candidate win? That's rather selfish. And rather stupid.

[msmaggie]

Whoa there. Taking Hillary as his running mate is "sacrificing the well-being of our Country"? And wanting our side to win is selfish? And stupid? I don't think taking Hillary would be the smart move, not because of her, but because there are other shrewder options. But this hyperbole is so tiresome.

[KQuarksSuperKollider]

Look I am one of the few Obama supporters who have no problem if he chooses Clinton even though I don't think she would be the best pick. But to say Obama cannot get her supporters without her on the ticket is just an incorrect assumption. Many other VP candidates can be a draw for the demographic groups Clinton appeals to now.

[Paris68]

Make that a second. I think that there are more interesting selections. And ultimately I think Clinton would be more effective in a position that actually meant something.

[LiberalIncarnate]

I don't want Bill Clinton to have influence over Obama in the White House. Hillary Clinton comes with Bill. The two are a team. Clinton as VP will hobble an Obama Presidency.

Excuse me? There are so many better choices for a VP than Hillary Clinton!

[Flick08]

HRC had it wrong in Penn. She's not Rocky, she's Adrian. YOU CAN'T WIN!!!

[julieeiluj]

Neither can obama without her voters.

[k6007]

You know what, the only person you are threatening with your ignorance is YOUR own livlihood, and that of your families. Go on vote for McWar!! Don't forget to put a condom on your finger, you're going to need it after the Supreme Court overturns Roe-vs-Wade.
And while you're at it, say twelve Hail Marys for the tens of thousands war dead in Iran.

[LiberalIncarnate]

I get really tired of Clintonistas threating to either stay home or vote for McCain. "Bring it on!"

You will only have yourself to blame in November.

[frankky]

Oh yes he can and will win with or without her supporters because republicans will not win this time thanks to the Bushman.

[EinChicago]

Not to worry, as teh Obama Kultists have told us, W. Va and Ky don't matter, as Obama puts swing states in play. Just like OH, PA, FL and MI don't matter, becauyse obama puts other states in play. And never mind about teh deep south, we don't need them because Obama puts other states in play. And who needs those southwest hispanic states? Not Obama. He puts other states in play. In fact, Obama doesn't need any state other than Illinois becase he puts other states in play with his 50 state strategy that doesn't count FL, MI, PA,OH, AL, KY, TN, NV, UT, NM, TX, GA, VA, AL, MS, and a few dozen other states. But it;s still 50 states, even without all these states, because Obama doesn;t need any state at all, because he puts other states in play.

[KQuarksSuperKollider]

The last gasp of the desperate Hillary fans. Obama is ahead of McCain in MI and NV and Clinton is behind McCain. Obama is also ahead in PA and very close in OH, TX, VA and GA versus McCain. I noticed you did not mention NM and CO which are two other states Obama is ahead of McCain but Hilary is behind. Have fun while you still can.

[KQuarksSuperKollider]

Also Hillary is behind in IA and WI versus McCain and Obama is ahead.

[EinChicago]

Source for your *ahem* "claims" (and I'm being nice).

[gwhizz]

ROFLMAO! Brilliant.

[LiberalIncarnate]

Please define Kultist?

No one in the Obama campaign, nor any of his supporters have used this wording. Even Obama himself claims that he is not perfect.

I am from Oregon and frankly, you will see on May 20th how much political clout we finally will hold. Clinton has NO chance here.

[gwhizz]

I'm almost hoping Obama wins. Then we can all sit back and watch the ferocious backpedaling from all the hateful people here disparaging the, "stupid, racist, inbred, toothless, etc" citizens of WV.

[julieeiluj]

no, he wants to embrace them and clinton and the rest of her voters or he will be going back to a senate seat instead of the oval office.

[Nonamnesiac]

You're right. Toothless is unfair.

[sclucie]

Agreed. I lived in SC for 15 years and was subject to endless, ignorant abuse from my huge California family for my defection. The head of the agency was a black woman with a PhD and an MD. Calling southerners and people from West Virginia "stupid, racist, inbred, toothless" is almost as bad as Clinton's racist statement. Anybody ever been to Charleston? Or the New River? Anybody ever been to Bakersfield? Or South Central? Or say, South Boston?

[KQuarksSuperKollider]

Look WV is a demographic anomaly. All the pundits will talk about Obama's problem with working class white voters but in the last ABCNews poll he got 40% of the working class white voters which is exactly the same Bill Clinton got back in 1992. Obama is ahead of McCain by 7 points and Clinton is only ahead of McCain by 3 points. While 13% of Democrats will vote for McCain over Obama, 15% of Republicans will cross over to vote for Obama. Hillary will still lose 10% of Democrats to McCain but it is a wash because only 10% of Republicans will cross over for Hillary. The big difference is the Independents. Clinton would lose Independents to McCain by 3 points and Obama will win Independents by 9 points. It's the Independents stupid.

[Paris68]

Nice. Thank you.

[EinChicago]

It is the independents, true. But not the nader herd independents you seem to be counting on. It's the moderate swing state bitter gun clinging independents./ They are the ONLy voters that have any relevance in the general. The nader herder indies cancel out the fundy indies and they're both equally irrelevant.

[ThomasMc]

Who cares what the Bigot States think?

[k6007]

Well, at least the Hatfields and the McCoys have found something they can agree on......Hillary!

[eshalom]

Just a note to you and any other Obama supporters who are in the mood for trashing rural voters in WV, KY, and other Appalachian states.

I was born and raised in northwestern Ohio, and I've lived most of my adult life here in Minnesota. However, my parents and grandparents were originally from southeastern Kentucky. They were liberal Democrats in the tradition of FDR who brought me up to respect the rights of all people regardless of race, gender, ethnic origin, etc.

I've been deeply offended by Obama's "bitter" remarks and the rude, condescending behavior of so many of his followers.

I'm one lifetime Democrat who has decided to withdraw my membership from the Democratic party and register as an independent this time around.

The crude, profane, sexist and misogynist comments of Obama supporters have made me ashamed to identify myself as a Democrat.

[msmaggie]

Only the people who want to win. You can bet your sweet ass Obama cares.

[julieeiluj]

You must if you are running for president.

[sclucie]

Do mean bigot states like California and New York, which also voted for Clinton? Or do you mean bigot states like Iowa, Utah, and Idaho which voted for Obama?

[KQuarksSuperKollider]

I love how Hillary surrogates are saying that the Democrats have not won since yada yada without WV. But they don't mention that this country has never elected a woman or African American for that matter. This is a very different year and the electorate is changing. For the few EVs Obama may not win with WV he will have a great chance to win CO, NV and NM who will never vote for Clinton.

[Amminadab]

CO, NV, and NM will not win the election for someone who dismisses, OH, FL, MI, PA, WV, and KY.

It would be good to tweak that strategy.

Besides, Clinton won NV and NM, too.

[KQuarksSuperKollider]

Clinton may have won NV and NM but Obama is beating McCain in the polls while Clinton is not. This just shows that winning a primary has little to do with winning that state in the general. NV and NM have a huge amount of Independent voters who did not vote during the primaries.

Obama is already ahead of McCain in MI where Hillary is behind and ahead of McCain in PA. He is just slightly behind in OH which will vote for Obama in the fall based on pocketbook issues. The fact is that Obama does not need FL but Clinton does which is a huge gamble since they voted Republican in 6 out of the last 7 races.

http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/

[jorydozier]

Just because Clinton won those states doesn't mean Obama wont. If the Clinton supporters are as passionate about our nations well being as they are about Hillary, certainly they will support Obama if/when he gets the nomination.

During this long battle I had to ask myself what I would do if Hillary was the nominee. Never did I once consider voting for McCain, he represents the complete opposite of everything Hillary and Obama care about. Never did I consider not voting, I have never missed a presidential election in my life. What I would do if my choice, Obama, was not the nominee is rally behind Hillary and do everything to help her win. This is despite the fact that I feel Hillary's tactics during the primary have been low brow.

I urge the Hillary supporters to support Obama.

[SwingingFromCenter]

Is this sort of like how Clinton "won" Texas?

Anyhow, WV isn't important in the General. Never has been, never will be.

[blubastian]

What little vetting there has been done of Obama was done after votes were cast in the swing states that he thinks he'll win in November. Obama has lost many supporters, the true effect of Rev Wright, Ayres, Auchi, Rezko, Farrakhan, Meeks, Davis, Odinga, Khalid ... will not be fully known until November (if he gets the nomination in August).

[KQuarksSuperKollider]

Check my post about Obama is ahead of McCain by 7 points while Clinton is ahead by only 3 after all your so called scandals.

The Republicans were just waiting for Clintons with a 12,000 page dossier on their indiscretions.

In the latest Washington post poll 62% of Democrats say Obama has a better chance to win.

Trolls enjoy Bush while you can because Obama will be the next president.

[EinChicago]

Yeah. Obama can win NV and NM... even though mcCain is extremely popular in the southwest and Obama is unioversally reviled by hispanics who make up almost 40% of the population in thoise states.

And I have a bridge in Brooklyn for sale.

[KQuarksSuperKollider]

Obama is polling ahead of McCain with Latinos and Latinas. Your are a true creep. I'm basing my arguments on polls not racist fiction.

[truesoccermom]

You forget about the power of Richardson and Kennedy.

[LiberalIncarnate]

Whether Obama can wn NV is in question and will largely depend on his running mate. NV has been trending Democrat. Please get educated.

NM will go Democrat. It always has. No change there.

[sclucie]

I've see no evidence - from polls or people I know that Obama is reviled by Latinos. Got any citations to back yourself up? That voting black definitely went for Clinton - but that doesn't mean they will vote for McCain. Especially not once his policies are out in the open. McCain wants war on at least three fronts - and that spells D_R_A_F_T and Latinos are the first to go - even if they are not allowed the dignity of becoming American citizens as soldiers fighting for the US.

[truesoccermom]

Obama will also win Virginia and North Carolina. And, with Bob Barr now in the race as a libertarian, Obama has a shot at Georgia.

[SaintZak]

I can't wait to see her come out to make her victory speech tonight:

"Thank you, thank you, thank you white voters of West Virginia! Ya know, as I look out at this crowd and see a sea of hopeful white faces, I feel honored, honored and proud...proud to be white. This has been a long hard fought campaign, and its been the support of hard working white Americans that has kept me going through the good times and the bad. You've heard my message of healthcare not for some white Americans, but for every white American. Its my pledge to you that I will stay in this race until every white vote has been counted! Thank you West Virginia, thank you white America!"

[NightRider]

Is it too early to call?

Is it too close to call?

Here is the only call that matters, Barack Obama will be the Nominee for the Democratic Party.

No amount of spin will change that. While Hillary is celebrating another losing strategy.

We will be celebrating history. That train already left the station.

[SamanthaJaneSalem]

Hopefully Clinton supporters in West Virginia will think "What's the point? It's over anyway" or "She'll win in a landslide anyway, so I'm staying home" while Obama supporters think "Let's make it as close as possible" with the result that Clinton wins by 15 or so instead of 20 or 30.

[JohnKemp]

Are you with the MSM?

This is their latest ploy; 80-20.

Whatever Hillary wins by will be spun as inaccurately as was Obama's "win" last week in NC.

If she gets 100% of the WV vote, the MSM spin will be about how many voters stayed home.

I guess it must work for 3-year olds; I'm not sure about anyone else.

[SamanthaJaneSalem]

I probably should have said Clinton wins by 20 or 30 instead of 50 or 60 if I wanted to play the expectations game the right way-- but a 20 point loss is a blowout no matter how you slice it. Frankly, I'm just happy 25% of West Virginians like Obama.