Posted on 09/16/2011 9:37:19 AM PDT by CaroleL
Now that Congressman Bob Turner (R-New York) has been sworn in on Capitol Hill, national attention is turning to the October 4 special election in West Virginia. Acting Governor and career politician Earl Ray Tomblin (D), who took office when former Governor Joe Manchin moved up to the US Senate, is running for a term of his own against conservative businessman Bill Maloney (R). Sound familiar?
As in NY-9, an establishment Democrat is running against a political novice in a race that was supposed to be a slam dunk for the Democrat. Just a few months ago, Acting Governor Tomblin held a whopping 33 point lead (56% - 23%) in the polls. But a poll taken earlier this month shows that lead is down to just 6 points (46% - 40%) with 14% of voters still undecided.
(Excerpt) Read more at talkingsides.com ...
After New York 9th the Democrats should be worried everywhere.
Why not post it here? Is there something wrong with it?
This blog has a Carl Leubsdorf column feel to it i.e. warmed-over cocktail-party conventional wisdom with a throw-the-hands-up ‘who knows?’ concluding question.
IS WEST VIRGINIA WORRIED ABOUT COAL... IF SO... THEY SHOULD MAKE BEING A dim ILLEGAL.
LLS
When Turner won in NY District 9, demonRATS in Kalifornicator, Delaware and Illinois stared quaking in their boots.
If Brooklyn and Queens are up for grabs and diane feinstein is worried, you bet your butt that the acting governor of WV is worried.
Sure they should be. West Virginia is one of those cases where the GOP is damned lazy. It should be voting like Alabama and does in Presidential elections. Raese would’ve won the Senate had he not had wife and hick problems also he failed to up the ante when Manchin ‘shot the bill’.
This race is a good race. Bill Maloney is a great candidate. He is solidly conservative and isn’t a gadfly and was involved in critical planning that saved the Chilean miners.
He has closed a 30 point gap which was largely because of name rec and nothing else. Does anyone know how cheap advertising is in WV? Hell Just spend the money on free fair events for everyone and you’d win the state. West Virginia is a big ‘handshake’ state. Bill Maloney can win this and if the GOP weren’t so head in the sand the race wouldn’t even be close.
Oddly enough WV is fairly evenly split in support of the coal industry. King Coal is a distant third in economic power in WV behind state/local government and WalMart. Aside from Rahall and Rockefeller, the Democrats in power in WV tend to have more conservative policy and governance than many so called Red States in the Deep South. As long as the pork keeps rolling in from DC and Charleston down to the county level, WV will keep electing Democrats to statewide office. That said, WV will continue to vote Red in presidential elections.
Yes but of course they do not have the Jews to blame as they did in NY
When they vote for them it is all good, when not they become worthy of being cast aside. On to the illegal immigrant vote, watch what Der Fearless (and clueless) Leader does
You are so right. If only we could somehow break up the “good ole boy” network in Charleston we could turn the state red overnight. Case in point, the recent redistricting fiasco. The Charleston cabal “fixed” things once more. Our county still does not have direct representation after 40 years of waiting for equity.
Maloney wasn’t given a shot a while back, but he has moved up within striking distance against Tomblin in the last poll I saw (6-8 points or so). It’s not out of the question that voters would take their anger at Obama out against Tomblin.
Only if Barney Frank is behind them and wants to give them some stimulus.
Hmmm, maybe I could find out --- IF the rest of the text was available ON FR, so that I could read it.
Oh well, on to another thread.
Thanks for the update.
LLS
Unfortunately, It’ll be a cold day in hell before the WV governor supports gay marriage. Earl Ray Tomblin, the Democratic governor, is symptomatic of the years of failure under Democrats.
Unfortunately they are also pro-trial lawyer, pro-union, and pro-all the gubmint cheese they can cram into their mouths.
It's the quintessential Mike Huckabee demographic.
Which is why the state is not a slam dunk for either party,
At least until Manchin runs.
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