WV-01: Incumbent Dem Down In Polls as Primary Election Nears

http://seminal.firedoglake.com ^ | April 24, 2010 | Chuckie Corra

[Maelstorm]

We need Alan Mollohan to survive till he can be dispatched properly in November. If I were still voting in WV I'd vote in the Democrat primary and check a box for Mollohan. He is dead in Nov. We don't want to run against Mike Oliverio he would be like putting a sanitized version of Mollohan in the seat. He'd be a stronger candidate all the way around for the Democrats and we don't want that.

[SmokingJoe]

Well, it says “according to a new poll released by state Sen. Mike Oliverio”.
That's push polling if ever I saw one. I wouldn't worry too much about it..yet. We need this Mollohan sucker in November, so we can properly dispatch him for his crimes against America.

[Maelstorm]

Oliverio is pretty slick. We just need to be careful in the primaries. We don’t want to repeat what happened in CT. If we could have saved a bit of our ammunition we’d have had a sure win of a Senate seat in the NE. Now we have an uphill battle.

[WVKayaker]

IMHO, David McKinley is the best R for the job... He is experienced, and CONSERVATIVE!

[cake_crumb]

Who’s the Republican?

[MontaniSemperLiberi]

Question for mountaineers, isn’t Oliverio the guy who used to take care of yup-yup man?

[soycd]

I believe he is related to this family...

[thethirddegree]

By the way, those are really good peppers, made in Clarksburg, WV.

[MSF BU]

Oliveria sounds an awful lot like a conservative democrat. I hope the GOP has found somebody who had balls enough to serve in uniform, as Oliverio did, to run against him. I can see why Mollohan may be having some problems with this guy...

[wildandcrazyrussian]

There are 6 Republicans in their primary: Cindy Hall, Patricia Levenson, David McKinley, Sarah Minear, Thomas Stark, and Mac Warner, who are all good people with an extensive range of business and community leadership. Of the 6, the three thought most likely to win include McKinley, Minear, and Warner. Both Minear and McKinley can self-finance their media campaigns to the tune of at least $200,000 each so far. No one knows which one of the 6 will get the highest number of votes, and unfortunately there is no runoff system in West Virginia.

Whoever wins on May 11 will likely get 25-30% of the GOP turnout of (124,000 x 50%) or say 15-20,000 votes. Whoever wins the Democrat primary will have to get 50%+ of Dem turnout of (200,000 x 50%) or at least 50,000 votes.

[wildandcrazyrussian]

Oliverio may sound like a conservative, but when he was asked on March 23 whether he would have voted against the Health Care bill that Mollohan had just voted for, he actually stated on statewide radio that he had no opinion and hadn't had time yet to think about it.

I agree that him winning the Democrat primary will not be a net positive. Lots of us just want him to get close and show that Mollohan is vulnerable.

[Retired COB]

David McKinley is the best R for the job... He is experienced, and CONSERVATIVE!

I'm not so sure. I've listened to all of them speak, and the most conservative is Tom Stark, followed by Mac Warner, followed by Sarah Minear.

David McKinley would come in fourth in my book. It also makes me suspicious that he was endorsed by the National Republican Congressional Committee (Remember NY-23?). The national republicans also endorsed the RINOs in Florida and Kentucky. I'd rather pick my own candidate, thank you.

[WVKayaker]

I haven't met Sarah, but listened and TALKED with the other three at the Tucker County Lincoln's day event. David impressed me with the experience he brings to the table. He will be solid, imho. Tom and Mac are nice guys, but David can win the general.

We gain nothing by putting a D back there again! David has name recognition from years in state politics. and in his business dealings. I am running for State Senate (15th) against the guy who runs the finance committee, Helmick (D). He's a solid union D flunky. I probably won't win, but have been making him spend lots of money on big billboards...

The national pubbies don't do much in WV...

[Retired COB]

I am running for State Senate (15th) against the guy who runs the finance committee, Helmick (D).

Good Luck. I'm running for State Senate (12th) to retire Joe Minard.

I believe that either Warner, Minyer, or McKinley could each beat Mollohan if he survives the primary.

If Oliverio wins the primary, I hope the most conservative wins in order to be able to draw a bigger distinction.....if we offer the public a choice between a moderate Dem and a moderate Repub, the registration numbers work in their favor. I believe McKinley and to a lesser extent Minear with their time in the state legislature have conditioned themselves to "Reach across the aisle". That blurs the distinction.

If I manage to win my election, I will not be going to Charleston to see how well I can get along with the Democrats (Think of Russ Weeks).

[Nonstatist]

We need Alan Mollohan to survive till he can be dispatched properly in

Maybe, maybe not. This reverts to an open seat, and a race against somebody without financial or incumbent advantages, etc. Still winnable.

[WVKayaker]

I'll show up in shorts and long sleeved chambray! I am not going to make friends with any of them.

I'll offer them an "alternative" to business as union usual!

[Maelstorm]

I agree McKinley is the best for the Job. I think he is going to win the nomination.

[Maelstorm]

Once McKinley gets in there the seat will be ours for a long long time.

[Maelstorm]

Yes it is. I grew up in the district.

[Maelstorm]

I kept going back and forth in my head about which was most advantageous. Right now Mollohan is critically wounded and I still thing that he is best to run against however I still think the race is more than winnable. This district has went GOP for President twice for George Bush and for John McCain. There is no reason we should be able to win it just running against Obama.