John Edwards Win Seven Percent Of West Virginia Primary

AFP notes a strange trend in the West Virginia primary: the surprising turnout of John Edwards.

Clinton beat Obama by a bruising 67 to 26 percent in West Virginia, with 100 percent of the vote counted. Seven percent voted for former senator John Edwards, who dropped out of the presidential race in late January.

Remarks Steve Benen:

How serious were identity-politics considerations? John Edwards -- who dropped out of the race in January -- got 7% of the vote. That's quite a few West Virginians who seemed to be saying, "We don't like the black guy or the woman from New York."

Comments

[briel]

Concerning the poster here who raised the issue of whether or not Edwards has 'earned' a place in the Obama White House, I would argue that he has not done so at all. To the contrary, he could move this election forward much quicker if he endorsed Obama, but instead he is caving to his wife's wishes. Considering what Edwards has always stood up for, it's ridiculous that he hasn't endorsed Obama to date.

[gba]

For Edwards health care matters

[briel]

Maybe so, but there is a clear distinction between Clinton and Obama, (i.e., old politics vs. new). Clinton has been a special interest magnet in Congress. Check out her history. Her claim now that she will "fight special interests" is absolutely ridiculous, and is only believable by the uneducated and ignorant that choose to follow her, or the people that don't care about principle (have no ideals) and have only the intent to put a woman in the White House no matter how screwed up she is. Further, Edwards has indicated that he favors Obama but still hasn't had the guts to endorse him (refer to John/Elizabeth interview in their kitchen where Elizabeth was seen clenching chair and freaking out on John because he didn't also note the symbolic significance of the 1st woman pres). I agree that John should realize this, and I'm pretty sure that he does, but prob feels (as I do) that we shouldn't be voting based on sex or race. Edwards likely supports Obama because Obama does not represent politics as usual, as does Clinton. Elizabeth supports Clinton because she's a woman - simple. She states that she approves more of Clinton's health care plan, but her emotional outburst at John in the kitchen concerning putting a woman in the White House says volumes.

[ohiodem250]

And it's more than just campaign promises, too. He, Ted Kennedy, and (wait for it...) John McCain were the authors of the Patients' Bill of Rights. Authored in 2002, it passed the Senate but was killed in the House. This issue is truly something close to him and I can tell you Obama's plan is what's holding Edwards back, there's no doubt about that. He can't stand Hillary - he thinks she's corrupt. But he treats her lightly in public so that he can be viewed as a party elder similar to Al Gore.

[KMKY]

Mike Huckabee had an interesting take on why he was still getting votes in these primaries despite no longer running himself but rather campaigning for McCain (unlike either Ron Paul for the Republicans or John Edwards for the Democrats), and he said that part of it might be a protest vote, but part of it might simply be that people really liked one candidate over the other (or had worked to campaign for that candidate earlier). This is precisely why Clinton should continue to stay in the race until the last primary. McCain has not yet lost a primary as presumptive nominee, but it is entirely possible that Obama could lose one or two of the remaining contests if Clinton withdrew now. But on a realistic note: it is a rarity that any candiate will draw 100% of the vote in any given election; there are always people ready to voice their dissent, resistance, protest, whatever.

[eurydice]

Obama/Edwards Dream Ticket.

That's a dream ticket I can vote for.

[HopeGirl]

John Edwards is a spineless idiot.

He makes the talky talky shows last week, plays coy little school girl, not endorsing, kind of endorsing Obama...isn't he cute in his litttle boy hair cut......what was he doing? Edwards has more influense in WV than Clinton and he could have helped Obama.

But he didn't. He is weak and spinless and for whatever reason onlly cupports Obama in private-not public. Shame on you John Edwards, shame on YOU.

[adavis08]

It's really too bad that John Edwards was disliked by the press and had the misfortune to run with John Kerry. He stills retains the stigma of that loss. He would have been the perfect compliment to Barack Obama, as a son of the South with his appeal to white poor, working class voters.

[AliHajiSheik]

West Virginia should be embarrased by the kind of comments that have come out from its voters which range from "B Hussein Obama Secret Muslim OMG!" to "hang darkie from a tree" (see NY Times). As someone who has been to WV for a football game in morganpatch, I am not surprised.

[BetterDeadthanRedState]

John Edwards, he's just like Obama only white.

[gba]

No, he was and is much more focused on poverty and healthcare

[HLMerkin]

Edwards has the populist rhetoric down pat.
His voting record undermines that message.

[Mystery954]

http://obama.senate.gov/press/080213-obama_hagel_can_1/

[NoLove4HillaryAnymore]

It tells you that there are a bunch of hugewash racist in the State of West Virginia. What do you expect from the most uneducated and ignorant red necks? I am not surprised to learn of the people of WV and glad America is not a mirror copy of the 75% of West Virginians.

[Bocababs]

I do think that John Edwards has earned himself a place in either an Obama or Clinton White House. What position either would choose for him would be okay with me.

[UrbanRevolution]

there will not be a clinton white house

[lvogt]

The willful ignorance of "less educated, less affluent, older, white" voters is truly stunning.

[HopeGirl]

I say itys time for another state, one that has stakein the real world, one the believes in education and voting for preseidential candidates for reasons other than their salad choice-to pick the president for the next 100 years. How about one that median IQ that is at least average and the defense of marriage act does not include relatives.

These people are professional victims, they love to be manipulated by the likes of Bush and Clinton-they will vote against their better interests-everytime. Manipulated by the mega wealthy of the country into believing anything-they like it that way. They don't have to read, they just have to listen to baseless gossip and thats good enough for them.

Thank god it is a small inconsequential state. Thank god that may be this time around states that have some sense might pick the president.

I am pretty fed up with these 'salt of the earths' messing it up for the rest of us.

[msmaggie]

Well I am more educated, more affluent,older and white--and what stuns me the arrogance that automatically assumes that people who vote against my candidate are de facto either ignorant or racist or perverse or something else. The inference being of course that the people who support my candidate (like ME) are the inverse of those things.

I bet little children smile and bring you posies whenever they see you.

Here's some free advice, you want to feel good about yourself, accomplish something instead of using that stale old trick of denigrating other people so you can look good in relief. So insidious, so lame.

[jamrock47]

I am sorry to say this (msmaggie) but there is no ambiguity here over fifty percent of the hillbillies from WV said that race was a factor in the way they voted and that they would not vote for a black candidate, the reasoning that you and others seem to have is that the black people who vote for Senator Obama is RACIST also , to this I say crap, black people have been voting for white candidates since they were allowed to vote , what we see here is the intrinsic evel of some white people , despite their shameful abuse of black people throughout the years they are still the ones harbouring a grudge maybe its time blacks become more militant against these xenophobes.
West Virginia Ohio, PA, yes they are Racist hill billies who inbreed that is why they are so evil, to hell with the code words (white working class people) the real label is white racists.let's cut the crap.

[LABC]

Well, any time you want to explain the racists comments made by these WV Clinton supporters (take your pick from which newspaper) and their exit polling that seems to spend a lot of time letting all the rest of us know how many different ways they will not vote for someone of a different color, Miss Mary Sunshine, I think that high horse you are on has a bad leg.

[WorkingClass]

Well said maggie. Thank you.

[ScandalousCandice]

This is a little bit different though. The people polled in West Virginia still think he is a Muslim. And after all the news about Jeremiah Wright, you would have to be either A. stupid to still think that. Or B. racist.

Not everyone is racist and people shouldn't be saying that the reason he lost is because of race. But to their defense, it's pretty hard not to see it that way based on exit polls. And no other state was this bad. These people think the gas tax holiday is a good idea, still voted for Edwards in some cases, still think Obama is a Muslim. It's pretty embarrassing if racism is off the table.

[osage]

Edwards is white and racism still reigns in West Virginia.

[woodson]

Had the race been between Edwards and Clinton; Edwards would probably have won. In places akin to WV, white males trump white females; and black males have no chance whatsoever.

[mhopgood123]

Tht is right. I would bet my life that those who voted for him(who is not even running anymore), are afraid of women and black men. I is a pity that in this century, people are still so ignorant as to say in an exit poll that they didn't vote for Barack because of race(20%). I just hope this breed of people go into extinction soon.

[gba]

How do you know? They might just be tired of the horse race and/or prefer more focus on poverty

[msmaggie]

How funny you are. Very piously deride the horrible racists or W VA and then go on to wish genocide on them. I'm gonna guess irony isn't your strong suit, but this is too perfect. And referring to them as a "breed"--gee, what does that remind you of?

Oh my, this is rich.

[englishprof]

Also, he has a Southern accent.

[joanVA]

Living close to the border of West Virginia in Virginia, I am not surprised at the 7 percent vote for Edwards or the huge vote for Clinton. Last year, I was surprised when I visited the coalfields of West Virginia to hear that most people supported Clinton. They thought it would really make Bush mad if she were elected. So, the vote for Clinton and Edwards represents a protest vote in some ways.

[MadFae]

Did it occur to anyone that those protest votes had more to do with the choice between a woman or a black man than with any affinity for Edwards? He's their perfect candidate...a white guy with a southern accent.

[Relax08]

Face it folks, this is the land of the racist and there is no way they are going to vote for the Black guy.
The population is very old 4 out of 10 voters was over 60! The young and educated get the hell out of the mountains as soon as they can. They don't know any black people, they don't like black people and no black person is going to tell them what they should hope for. Little wonder that Obama did not win there.

This is yet another reason that the Clinton's have been so self indulgent in staying in the race when it was obvious that they could not win without tearing the party apart. If they had stopped when they should of and that was Texas which they lost- remember Carville said that she had to "win" both Texas and Ohio- there would have been no Bitter issue. She could have campaign in WVA for Obama and begin to make some headway. But no that wasn't possible because Clinton was entitled to go forward because she was a woman and she is after all a Clinton. BFD!

Look at the Democratic party after Bill Clinton- not until he was gone did it slowly start to come back from his devastating harm.

This is all the fault of the Clintons and while Obama is going to win in November, that task is 100% harder due to the conceit of the Clinton's.

[comodiode]

Actually poor white people in the over 60 age-group know/have known lots of black people. We all spent time together in the jungles and on the rivers (and I don't mean on a Swift-boat lol) of Vietnam.

[personalpolitical]

I'd say that is the 7% so ignorant they don't even know that Edwards dropped out.