WV is very heavily DemocRatic, but not heavily *liberal*. Bush won both the First and Second Congressional Districts in 2000, getting a slightly larger majority in the First CD (northern WV). Only the Third CD (Southern WV) is heavily populated by dyed-in-the-wool, hard-core, FDR-worshipping, Republican-hating liberal Rats. And even they are not "liberal" in precisely the same sense as, say, Teddy K. or Hitlery.
Bush's win in 2000 was only the fourth time since FDR that a Republican took WV's electoral votes (1956, 1972, 1984, 2000). The last Republican to be elected to the U.S. Senate from West Virginia was Chapman Revercomb in 1956, a trend which unfortunately is highly unlikely to change (regardless of a Presidential visit on behalf of Jay Wolfe).
DWG
Actually Bush's win in 2000 in WV was the first time since the 20's that WV voted for a non-incumbant Republican Presidential candidate.
I know nit picky, but facts are facts and the politcal nuances have to be pointed out.
West Virgina falls in the somewhat of the Same Category as Most of Pennsylvania (Excluding Philadelphia).
Most of Pennsylvania is very Socially Conservative with a large Catholic Population. But it is also heavy Union country.
The People tend to be Pro-Life, Pro-Gun and Anti-Homosexual, but fall for the old "Democrats is for da workin man." line all the time.
Philadelphia tends to be NYC style socially liberal, but the rest of the state is very Conservative.
Pennsylvania unlike West Virgina though will vote Democrat for President, and Republican in most everything else. Both U.S. Senators from PA are Republican, The Majority of the U.S. Congressional Deligation is Republican, and many of the democrats on that delegation are very pro-life and pro-gun (IE: John Murtha) the State Senate and State House are Republican, and the Majority of state offices are Republican.
What amazes me though is that Pennsylvania will vote for idiots like Gore (this was due in large part to vote fraud in philadelphia), yet also vote for Conservatives like Rick Santorum.
If Republicans would quit running the fiscally conservative message in states like Pennsylvania and West Virginia, and push Guns, Abortion, and Homosexuality. We could rip these states out of RAT Control for a long time.
For some reason republicans like to run on fiscally conservative messages, and they stray away from social conservativism for fear of being painted as right-winged extremists.
Problem is the Media is going to do it anyway, so why not get the social conservative issues on the forefront in these states where the message would do so well.