Obama To Head To Appalachia In First Week As Presumptive Nominee

To all those pundits who have wrung their hands over Barack Obama's potential general election weaknesses, take heart -- the Senator has heard you.

After moving past the magic number of 2,118 Democratic delegates this evening and addressing the nation's most powerful pro-Israel lobbying organization on Wednesday morning, Obama will head to Virginia on Thursday -- right smack in the heart of Appalachia, where he is often thought to be toast because of his outsized losses to Senator Clinton in some of the region's primaries.

While not all of Virginia is properly inside Appalachia, the cities Obama will visit -- including Bristol, Abingdon and Castlewood -- are all nestled within western Virginia, close to the Tennessee border.

Providing those voters with some face time will perhaps go some way toward satisfying commentators who wonder whether Obama can "connect" with the region, but for what it's worth, it isn't as though Obama is headed to Virginia to staunch any bleeding. The Pollster.com best-fit line of polls over time has shown Obama steadily closing on Sen. John McCain in the state.

And the latest SurveyUSA poll, taken between May 16-18, shows Obama with a 49-42 lead over John McCain -- nearly outside the poll's +/- 4.1 percent margin of error.

Comments

[Voting4PorkRindz]

gettin somebody to vote fer ya is easy here in Appy. just gotta provide the right incentives. i like my rindz bbq and cigs menthol, there mr. bama. oh yeah. and a 12 of pbr. hey, it worked for ol ben!

[WillVote4PorkRinds]

i want a bessies burger.

[TommyDynamite]

Does't matter who Obama chooses for VP. Obama loses in November. Guarantee.

[IntelligentAmerican01]

I will pray for him. Some of the views of these people in Appalachia seriously disturb me. I hope Obama and his positive message can eradicate their ignorance.

[TrueIndy08]

here we go...

I sure Obama is ready for this trip... I want to be optimistic but some of the things I have heard come out of this part of country are worse than the damn South!!!

I wish for once people would vote their interest instead of making ignorant, prejudices... hopefully his trip will an eye opener to this part of America that there are politicians that truly care about them and their way of life, not just at election time!!! If they look at that instead of the color of the politicians skin.... things might actually start improving!!

Hopefully he picks Jim Webb or Tim Kaine as VP... we need them stumping for him in this area!

[arkgrfx61]

My thoughts are this - he is Daniel going into the Lion's den, but he knows exactly what he's doing. One of his strengths I believe (which is what comes across) is that he actually listens to people - he will sit down w/ them...ask them what their issues are and address them. He's now able to focus on that and that's how he'll win their hearts.
I have 100% complete faith in him.

[ChrisInTennessee]

My husband and I are going to go see him! I'm so excited, he'll only be a half an hour from my home! Sweet!

[arkgrfx61]

Have a wonderful time...I'm jealous..:)

[jeb909]

I'm from West Virginia and I think this is a good move. It worked for Hillary Clinton, it worked for F.D.R. and it worked for Jack Kennedy. Had he lived, it would have worked for Bobby too. I know older people who still rever Jack and Bobby Kennedy because he cared enough to come here to Southern West Virginia and talk to the people. He made them feel like they mattered. He could do the same. He could talk to people personally and let them know what he's made of. I hope he does. I'm pulling for him.

[arkgrfx61]

Hope is what he's all about...;)

[Marichu]

Good, this is what Obama should do. He needs to go out there, including West Virginia and Kentucky, and talk. He needs to present the human face behind the presidential candidate and show them that if elected, he will represent them too. Many may have felt excluded even ostracized by his no-show during the primaries. Traveling and spending time there will help bridge this divide. This will allow these citizens the opportunity to judge him on his credentials, his social/political/economic philosophies, any and all other aspects of a presidential candidate. Once he has done this, though it will take time, (over coming a stereotype is never easy) he will be judged accordingly, and not by the pigment of his skin.

[weedhighnightmare]

You know what disturbs me? I live in the Appalachian foothills of the Ohio Valley. In all my time growing up, I never knew my parents to be racist. Until now. They, like most seniors, get their news from television, and though they are lifelong Democrats, they predominantly watch Fox News. My mom doesn't want to vote for Obama. She says that Michelle Obama isn't proud of America. She notes that "all of the blacks are going to vote for him and I just can't bring myself to support them." My dad just said outright, "I won't vote for him because he's black."

In the work lunchroom, I overheard a guy telling people that "Obama is a Muslim who was swore in on the Koran." I tried to set him straight, but he insisted, "I read it on Snopes."

An acquaintance of mine who is a union ironworker has told me that he's voting for McCain because, "I ain't votin' for that bitch or that ni**er." I pointed out that he'd be voting against his own best interests and maybe he should just stay home, to which he replied angrily, "I ain't wasting my vote!"

That's what Sen. Obama is up against, at least in my little corner of Appalachia. If these people listen to Obama speak rather than the pundits, he has a chance. If they allow themselves to believe misinformation, he may very well lose OH, KY, PA, and other important states.

[fun2bfree]

the guy who claimed he read that on snopes---I think I would say--wow? Snopes is generally a very reliable site....wouldn't you agree? (He would I presume) then I would say- So how about a wager--I bet snopes says the exact opposite --that Obama is a Christian, was sworn in on the Bible...and the whole story you just told is false....shall we make a bet? If I am right you donate $X to Obama's campaign and promise to vote for him...*the money is the only enforceable part of the bet...

[arkgrfx61]

excellent strategy...:)

[ADVOCATE4ZPG]

In light of McCain's support of AMNESTY for ILLEGAL ALIENS, it would behoove(sp?) Obama to take AMNESTY "off the table." This action would go a long way toward molifying this cohort of voters!

[arvay]

I know, it's sad to discover this, but Obama will work to show people of the region that he's going to help them and represent their interests. He won't convince everyone: the Republican fear-mongers have been getting people to support those who routinely screw them. But his message will get through to many. This is a great time in our country's history and change will come to Appalachia as well!

[UrbanInterloper]

Classic Obama move: show up and fight for what you believe in where it's toughest, not where it's easiest! It's that tenacity that impressed me in 2002, and what still impresses me about him. As long as he keeps doing this, he's going to be our next president.

[CommittedDem]

Why didn't he challenge there harder during the primary?

[arkgrfx61]

I will give you MY thoughts on this.
The reason why he didn't campaign there during the primary was because he knew that he didn't have the time to devote to addressing the people's issues.
He pretty much knew that he would not get that particular demographic vote...so he wanted to focus on other areas that he knew were his strengths.
Then when he knew that he had the time, after he became the nominee - he could go there, under less pressure and talk w/ them face to face.

His strategy was right on and his instincts have served him well.

[MaeScott]

Perfect!
I live in KY and the Courier-Journal has been doing it's part to promote conversations about tolerance and race. It's been hard reading some of those messages to the editor, but some letters gave me encouragement. I think going to Virginia now, outside of the primary season, just to talk and connect, is exactly what needs to be done at this stage. Great move. He should swing through as many states like this ( mine, mine, please) as he can.

[army193]

I will take a candidate that can admit to error any day...There is some that only cling to Bush/McCain.

[Liberoservative]

I wonder if he will take John Edwards with him... that would be a great one two punch

[krifos]

"All You Need is Love"
John Lennon

[ZsaZsa]

This is a smart move. And when he's in this part of the country, he needs to save the packed-house stump speeches for another time. He needs to focus on shaking hands and having conversations.

[speedingpullet]

LOL!

Someone just yesterday was saying here that he should go Appalachia soon!

Guess O-bama's people read HuffPost.
Whodathunkit? ;-)

[Phylmom]

He already did that when he came to my town - went to a restaurant and had a sandwich and talked to folks. He needs to do more, you're right.

[mick3]

Which he's great at. Witness his appearance at AIPAC, when he took the time to shake hands with a dozen of its leaders while the other two candidates blew air kisses and waved.

[katzooks]

This is great news! How else for Americans to get to know Obama?

(And, yes, Appalachia is a part of America -- a diverse one, at that -- and, no, not everyone in Appalachia fits those ridiculous, pre-conceived stereotypes, and, yes, I have every confidence that once the people in this region meet the man behind all the false rumors, innuendo and lies, they will like him, because he speaks for them, as he speaks for all Americans, including and perhaps especially those in regions of America hardest hit by losses in jobs, industry and health care. And Appalachia is certainly a part of that).

I understand that Obama plans a strong presence in Appalachia, along with Sen. John Edwards, as they pull together a concerted effort to undertake the war on poverty in this country -- certainly of interest to people living in this area. Expect to see more of Appalachian native, Virginia Sen. Jim Webb, too, in some of these trips through Appalachia. He will likely work to help to bridge the misunderstandings and misinformation that exists among many people in Appalachia, regarding Barack Obama. This is exciting stuff!

Instead of hurling insults at Obama and the people of this region, how about giving it a rest. Sit back and watch, as America, at its best, unfolds in the coming days, weeks and months. You may be pleasantly surprised!

[ABCD]

To: Katzooks, I agree with you 100%.
To: Barack H. Obama, Congratulations to you.