Rockefeller urges West Virginians to vote for Obama

by: Clem Guttata

Tue May 13, 2008 at 12:18:29 PM EDT

Last night I had the opportunity to hear Sen. Jay Rockfeller give one last pitch to West Virginians on why to vote for fellow Sen. Barack Obama in the West Virginia primary.

Sen. Rockefeller has spoken quite eloquently about how much he trusts Obama and how much he feels Sen. Obama is the right person to lead us through the turbulent times ahead.

Below are pictures of Martinsburg, WV Obama supporters taken prior to the event.

I voted - W.Va. primary edition

by: Clem Guttata

Tue May 13, 2008 at 08:20:44 AM EDT

Did you vote today? What was it like?

Jennifer Garner making West Virginia Get Out the Vote Calls

by: Clem Guttata

Mon May 12, 2008 at 07:13:24 AM EDT

This is pretty neat, too.

Obama Campaign Launches "Get Out the Vote" Calls Featuring Hometown Actress Jennifer Garner  

CHARLESTON - The Obama for America campaign will launch state-wide automated calls to West Virginia supporters featuring Charleston native and Emmy Award-winning actress, Jennifer Garner.  In the script, Garner talks about Barack Obama as a President who represents "our generation" and says that this Tuesday is a chance to make history.

Jennifer Garner was raised in Charleston and graduated from George Washington High School. She is best known for her starring role in the hit TV show, Alias as well as her roles in films like Pearl Harbor, Elektra and The Kingdom.  Jennifer Garner was named the 2007 West Virginian of the year by the Charleston Gazette.

CALL SCRIPT

Jennifer Garner: Hi, this is Jennifer Garner.  I am calling to ask that you to join me and vote for Barack Obama this Tuesday.  This is our moment; we have an opportunity to elect a President that represents our generation.  As West Virginians, this is our chance to have our voices heard in this historic election.  Polls are open on Tuesday until 7:30PM.  If you are registered as an Independent or 'No Party,' remember to ask for a Democratic Ballot.  If you have questions about your polling place or need a ride to the polls please go to go to www.wv.barackobama.com or call 866-675-2008.  Together, we can make history!

#          #          #

She was also in Juno, one of the very best films of 2007.

Record early voting in West Virginia

by: Clem Guttata

Mon May 12, 2008 at 06:03:30 AM EDT

A record number of West Virginians have cast early ballots for a primary in advance of Tuesday's election.

Secretary of State Betty Ireland reports 49,982 ballots cast in 52 of West Virginia's 55 counties between April 23 and Friday. Ireland's office says another 4,916 absentee ballots have been returned.

The article also says early voters were 71% Democrats and 6.2% independents/nonpartisans. That leaves 22.8% as Republican or Mountain Party. (It's not clear if they mean registered as such or voting on those ballots.)

Update: Thank you to reader "R" for sending in this dispatch about voting in Kanawha County on Saturday:

long lines at the courthouse since before they opened. the staff was still cheerful and professional, but they were clearly tired from a huge turnout by early afternoon. anecdotal from one of the poll workers was close to 1,000 people yesterday and the same already today at 1:30. that would get kanawha much closer to the early vote total from table games (which was slightly over 10,000). up from about 6,000 as reported by one of the charleston rags on friday.

Thank you for the report!

Green Voting Help for May 13 Primary

by: Clem Guttata

Sat May 10, 2008 at 16:02:53 PM EDT

Vote "Green"

With the West Virginia primary election a few days away, we thought you might want to know how your Delegates and Senators voted on environmental issues during the 2008 Legislative Session.

The West Virginia Environmental Council has produced a report to help you find out: "The 'Green' Vote -- Environmental Issues at the 78th West Virginia Legislature" (PDF).

This report highlights how elected members of the West Virginia Senate and House of Delegates voted on legislation dealing with important environmental issues during the 2008 session.

For a variety of logistical reasons, this report is not an actual "Environmental Scorecard" that gives legislators a percentage rating or letter score (like the League of Conservation Voters produces for Congress).

Instead, this report shows how individual members of the West Virginia Senate and House of Delegates voted on a set of important, and sometimes complicated, environmental bills. By looking at all the results, it is hoped that you will be able to get a clearer picture of a member's support, or lack of support as the case may be, for the environment.

We hope you find this report helpful, and we urge you to "Vote Green" in the primary on May 13th.

Confirmed: Obama in W.Va. on Monday

by: Clem Guttata

Fri May 09, 2008 at 20:43:42 PM EDT

I've heard various rumors (Huntington High School, a rotary meeting!), but no details have been announced for any where and when.

Location Change: Manchin's Monday Night Bash

by: Clem Guttata

Fri May 09, 2008 at 15:35:03 PM EDT

UPDATED: Gov. Manchin's Democratic Rally Location Change

Rally moved to Fairmont State University's Gym

The night before the Primary Election, Monday May 12, Gov. Joe Manchin is once again hosting an old-fashioned Democratic Rally at the Fairmont State University's Gym in Marion County. All statewide Democratic officeholders and candidates have been invited, including the presidential candidates. Food and refreshments will be provided and the Davidson Brothers band will be performing. Doors open at 6pm and the program will begin at 7pm.

Very interesting. They must be expecting a larger crowd... I wonder if that means at least one of the Presidential contenders will make an appearence.

Hillary and Chelsea Clinton in Shepardstown, W.Va.

by: Clem Guttata

Thu May 08, 2008 at 07:58:17 AM EDT

John M. Broder in The New York Times reports "Amid Talk of the End and Boos From the Crowd, Clinton Carries On"

On what was probably one of the toughest days of her campaign so far, with pundits and analysts of all stripes declaring her presidential candidacy finished, Mrs. Clinton put on her battle face Wednesday and confronted what was at times a hostile crowd at a hastily arranged speech here at Shepherd University.

Shepherdstown, a quaint and hippieish town on the Potomac River in the West Virginia Panhandle, is where Robert E. Lee led his Confederate Army in retreat after the battle of Antietam, the single bloodiest day of the Civil War.

Mrs. Clinton endured boos when she mentioned her proposal for a gasoline tax holiday, catcalls when she spoke of ending the Iraq war and, most difficult of all, the heckling of her daughter, Chelsea, who introduced her.

"End the dynasty!" a young man holding an Obama poster shouted when Chelsea Clinton stepped to the microphone.

All the while, a smile was fixed on Mrs. Clinton's perfectly made-up face - not a hair was out of place - and she betrayed only an occasional glimmer of recognition of the exceedingly narrow straits she must now navigate.

[snip]

Mrs. Clinton added the stop at 3 a.m. Wednesday in an effort to show that she remained committed to campaigning in the remaining six contests on the Democratic primary calendar (West Virginia holds its primary on Tuesday). She may also have been seeking refuge from the dust storm of speculation in Washington over the fate of her campaign. She returned to Washington after the event in Shepherdstown to try to persuade a small group of undecided superdelegates to remain undecided, and then to raise money for her near-broke campaign at a mother-daughter dinner at a hotel.

A pop psychologist might say that Mrs. Clinton was showing symptoms of denial or of being divorced from reality, but she has said for months that she will not quit as long as there remains a mathematical possibility that she could capture the nomination. That chance narrowed considerably Tuesday night, but the path is not totally blocked.

As a brief news conference after her remarks at the college, she said, "It's a new day, it's a new state, it's a new election," her upbeat tone never wavering. "I'm staying in this race until there's a nominee. I'm going to work as hard as I can to become that nominee."

Jay Carson, a campaign spokesman, said that he had spoken privately with Mrs. Clinton on Wednesday morning and that she was in a good mood.

"We feel we did well last night," Mr. Carson said. "She is not someone who is buffeted by the day-to-day ups and downs of the campaign. She is tough and tenacious. That's why she's a phenomenal campaigner and why she'd be a great president."

"She's unflappable," he added. "She's proven that to you in the press and to the voters."

Mr. Carson is divorced from reality if he really feels the Clinton campaign "did well" on Tuesday. Nonetheless, he's right about Hillary being "tough and tenacious." But for the emergence of Barack Obama as an even better candidate, she would almost certainly already be our party's nominee.

UPDATE from Carnacki: From the report from JBdem4usa, it sounds like the NY Times reporter may have gotten it wrong.

Eastern Panhandle Talk show says Crowd was Well Behaved
I notice quite a discrepancy when I read your blog account of the speech by Hillary yesterday in Shepherdstown after hearing a radio broadcast on WEPM in Martinsburg which describes the crowd as well behaved.  Which was it?  I was proud to hear that the Obama supporters were polite to Hillary when she is obviously going through a tough time right now, even though I agree that her policies are not what I would call progressive or even different than those who came before her.  Better than Bush for sure but not quite radical enough to get us out of the hole we've dug with bad policies for the past seven plus years.

Did anyone go to the event?

West Virginia is tailor-made for Hillary Clinton

by: Clem Guttata

Mon Apr 28, 2008 at 13:50:42 PM EDT

A diary last week about Obama's ability to excite swing voters in other parts of the country (NY Times Thursday: Obliterating Hillary's Electability Meme) including a fascinating graphic from the New York Times:

Below the break, I apply this decision tree to 2000/2005 census data and 2004 voting data to project Clinton's margin of victory in the state.

W.Va. primary voting is underway

by: Clem Guttata

Mon Apr 07, 2008 at 09:53:24 AM EDT

Early voting for the May Primary Election in West Virginia begins on Wednesday, April 23rd.

Voting by absentee ballot, though, is already underway.  Absentee ballots have been sent to thousands of people with just more than five weeks to go until the election.

The Clinton vs. Obama race is an obvious draw, but there are plenty of other reasons to pay attention to this primary, too.

As I'll highlight in a future diary, there are a number of races around the state with no Republican challenger but more than one Democratic Party candidate in the primary. The outcome of those races will be decided on May 13.

Continuing from the article... record turnout is expected:

"It will be a big turnout.  We've told all the clerks to be ready for a huge turnout."

For the first time in West Virginia, independent voters will have the option of voting using either a Democratic ballot or a Republican ballot.  Ireland says the voter must request the ballot they want when they go to vote.  By law, the pollworker can not offer the ballot.

Ireland says the change means candidates for all offices, not just those in the Presidential race, will have to appeal to a number of groups.

[snip]

More than 29% of the registered voters in the state are Republicans, more than 56% are Democrats, less than one percent are members of the Mountain Party, while almost 14% have no party affiliation.  Those non-affiliated voters add up to 165,000 people.

West Virginia Democratic Primary Explained

by: Clem Guttata

Sun Apr 06, 2008 at 11:51:13 AM EDT

This diary lays out everything you ever wanted to know about the W.Va. Democratic Primary but didn't know to ask. There are three major topics: who participates, how delegates are allocated, and who serves as delegates. Most of this information can be determined by pouring through the West Virginia Democratic Party Delegate Selection Plan (warning PDF!).

Who Participates, When?

* West Virginia voters registered as Democrats or with "No party affiliation" (e.g., independents) can vote in the Democratic primary.

* The deadline for voter registration (or change in party affiliation) is on Tuesday, April 22, 2008.

* Early voting runs from April 23rd to May 10th. It is held at county courthouses during regular business hours from Monday to Saturday. Note: Some counties offer extended evening hours--typically on Thursdays. Check with your local county for exact hours.

* The primary is on May 13, 2008 with polls open statewide from 6:30am to 7:30pm.

How many delegates are there?

West Virginia has 39 delegates total to the Democratic National Convention. There are 28 pledged delegates at stake in the primary, 10 named super-delegates, and 1 (to-be-named) unpledged add-on.

* Primary voters will determine the allocation of 28 delegates between Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

* Primary votes will determine the allocation of 5 different delegate pools, each with either district-wide or state-wide proportional representation.

* The three congressional districts each have 6 delegates at stake, these are proportionally assigned by congressional district-wide vote totals. The most likely outcome for all 3 CD's is a 3-3 delegate split. A 4-2 split is also quite possible if a candidate runs up the vote within a congressional district.

* There is a pool of 7 pledged at-large delegates proportionally assigned by the state-wide popular vote total in the primary. The most likely split for this pool is 4-3. A 5-2 split also possible if if one candidate does very well statewide.

* There is a pool of 3 Pledged Party Leaders and Elected Officials (PLEOs) proportionally assigned by the state-wide popular vote total in the primary. The almost guaranteed split for this pool is 2-1.

Who serves as delegates?

Just as there are multiple pools of delegates, there are multiple ways that someone can become a delegate.

* The ten "super-delegates" are already known. These are the unpledged delegates who are either Democratic elected officials or DNC members residing in West Virginia. Some of them have made their voting intentions known, many have not.

* The 11th unpledged "add-on" super-delegate will be chosen by the Democratic Party Executive Committee on Saturday, June 14.

* The 7 pledged at-large delegates and 3 Pledged Party Leaders and Elected Officials (PLEOs) are also chosen by the Democratic Party Executive Committee on Saturday, June 14, subject to Presidential candidate approval.

* The process the 18 district-level delegates are chosen at the State Convention on June 13. The convention, being held at the Charleston Civic Center, will include about 1,500 delegates from across the state. The six delegates chosen in each CD must be convention delegates*, must reflect the proportional split for the voting in that district, and should be 3 females and 3 males. Only the delegates from a CD vote for delegates for that CD.

* Correction from a W.Va. Democratic Party contact: "Folks can run for delegate to the national convention without being a delegate to the state convention." (Of course, based on how the process works, state convention delegates are the most likely candidates.)

* This upcoming Saturday, April 12, the delegate selection process begins with County Conventions electing the state convention delegates. The number of delegates from each county was determined by past voting levels per county.

What else?

Sure... even more details for those who wonder where the wiggle room might be in the process.

Q Are pledged delegates really pledged?
A Here's what the delegate plan says:

The West Virginia presidential primary election is a "binding" primary. Accordingly, delegate and alternate positions shall be allocated so as to fairly reflect the expressed presidential preference of the primary voters in each district. The National Convention delegates and alternates selected at the district level shall be allocated in proportion to the percentage of the primary vote won in that district by each preference, except that preferences falling below a 15 percent threshold shall not be awarded any delegates or alternates.

And, more in the at-large section:

The at-large delegates and alternates will be selected based on the percentage of votes received by the presidential candidates in the Primary Election.

And, more in the PLEO section:

The pledged PLEO slots shall be allocated among presidential preferences on the same basis as the at-large delegates.

Q What's that bit about delegate choices being subject to Presidential candidate approval?
A Here's what the delegate plan says:

Presidential Candidate Right of Review
a. The State Democratic Chair shall convey to the presidential candidate, or that candidate's authorized representative(s), not later than 10:00 A.M., June 14, 2008, a list of all persons who have filed for a party and elected official delegate pledged to that presidential candidate.
b. Each presidential candidate, or that candidate's authorized representative(s), must file with the State Democratic Chair, by noon June 14, 2008, a list of all such candidates he or she has approved, as long as approval is given to at least one name for every position to which the presidential candidate is entitled.
c. Failure to respond will be deemed approval of all delegate candidates submitted to the presidential candidate unless the presidential candidate or the authorized representative(s) signifies otherwise in writing to the State Democratic Chair not later than 2:00 P.M., June 14, 2008.

Q Does the state-wide add-on candidate go to the state popular vote winner?
A No. The West Virginia State Executive Committee can choose whomever they want:

Unpledged add-on delegate candidates may be selected whether or not they previously filed a statement of candidacy for a delegate position or submitted a pledge of support for a presidential candidate.

One final thought... if this process seems kindof sortof messed up to you... you know, like the fact that the delegate count could end up being a rather inexact reflection of the popular vote... two things to keep in mind:

(1) These were the rules everyone knew about at the beginning of the process... there were no strong voices advocating for more little "d" democracry inside the W.Va. Democratic party before this nominating process started. If it bothers you, start voicing your concerns immediately after election day to change how things happen next time around.

(2) No one expected the W.Va. primary outcome to matter when these rules were put together. The rules were drafted  with a major concern about who gets to attend the convention instead of who they represent once they get there.

(3) There are still plenty of important decisions to be made at the state convention. The best way to impact the process this year is to go to your county convention and get elected to the state convention. Members of the WV Democratic Executive Committee listen to the party membership -- the convention delegates attend the convention as representatives of local party members. This is your chance to influence what the W.Va. Democratic Party does.