Posted on 11/04/2004 7:31:31 AM PST by WVNan
CHARLESTON - A disgrunted West Virginia Republican elector said Tuesday he likely will cast his Electoral College ballot for President Bush after all because he won West Virginia by such a wide margin.
"The margin of victory was persuasive, no question about it," said South Charleston Mayor Richie Robb, who had repeatedly said he might not vote for Bush because he disagrees with his economic and foreign policies.
With 1,025 of 1,965 precencts reporting, Bush had 55 percent of the vote compared to 44 percent for Democrat John Kerry, 1 percent for Independent Ralph Nader and less than 1 percent for Libertarian Michael Badnarik.
Although Robb resisted saying without a doubt he would vote for Bush, he said he also was persuaded by U.S. Sen. John McCain's comments Tuesday indicating he believes Bush in a second term would try to address the divisiveness in the country.
"That gave me a lot better feeling about President Bush," Robb said.
Robb had said he might withhold his vote from Bush or cast it for another Republican because he had long opposed the war in Iraq and Bush's tax cuts and other economic policies. Robb had said it was not likely he would vote for Democrat John Kerry.
The state party named Robb as an elector at its annual convention earlier this summer in Beckley.
A lawyer who has been mayor of South Charleston for 29 years, Robb ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for governor in the May primary. State GOP Chairman Kris Warner recommended Robb and four other unsuccessful gubernatorial condidates to be electors.
Robb said he has been bothered by public reaction to his indecision about Bush.
"There's one thing that has been wearing down on me, has been the nastiness of some people. I know politics isn't fair......I still didn't like it. I am a human being just like they are," Robb said.
Robb said he was not threatened, at least not directly.
"There was some pretty strong language I put up with," Robb said.
I think he needs to be "Invited" to leave the party
He simply needs to be removed.
Word.
It appears that he never had any intention of voting for anyone else - just looking for attention...
Maybe the WV GOP met him behind a dumpster and gave him a little "pep talk..."
The only thing worse than RINOs are the people who repeatedly give them power.
"I find the margin of victory persuasive ..." [shot of laser-dot centering and recentering on side of forehead and he stands nervously in half-open doorway to his home to speak with reporters, a subdued, stiff smile frozen on his face] "I, uh, think I might be voting for Bush after all."
I still can't understand what the WVGOP thought they were doing when they named him elector. He has such a track record of being a pain in the rear to the party.
buh bye, traitor.
Yes - he should be invited to leave the party. When an elector chooses to make his own personal disgruntled statement at the expense of President Bush who needs his help and all nation wide Republicans - he is not worthy to be called a Republican.
Along with "Sheets" Byrd!
Guys like this are great, they vote in support of the right things only so long as their vote isn't needed. As for the publicity he got out of this, I bet he wishes now that he had kept his mouth shut.
That needed to be said again.
Ahnold has paid back Bush with clone and kill legislation passage in CA, and Arlen has paid him back by threatening any pro-life agenda regarding RvW and pro-life justices.
And neither delivered their states...and Arlen was the most guilty by far in failing to deliver. He should be a RAT.
"...not worthy to be called a Republican." Would you say the same thing about any R senator or rep who votes against any bill that W backs? If you wish to cast aspersions, throw them at the GOP chairman, or the legislature that allows for unfaithful electoral college voters.
ping
After this year, if you guys use this man to be a WVa presidential elector, you need to have your collective behinds soundly kicked.
PING
You got that right girl. What on earth was Warner thinking? Sorry I had to post and run. Had a haircut appt.
Hey, don't blame me. How was I to know anything about him? We had to assume that Warner knew what he was doing when he appointed electors.
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