the 51 percent solution
May 13, 2008 by John Rich
No Democrat can expect to win the presidency without West By God Virginia. That is the gospel truth, brothers and sisters. Even if the Mountaineers are bitter white folk who cling to their God and their guns.
Exit polling from today’s primary is running as expected; a blowup is shaping up for Hillary. That was expected, and Obama will spin it as would any politician. But here’s something that may require an extra wash cycle before the spin (via Marc Ambinder):
51% of West Virginians believe that Barack Obama shares the worldview of Rev. Jeremiah Wright.
Now, people, understand that this is just over a majority of Democrats. One might wonder what would be the comparable polling among independents and Republicans. I’d have to guess it wouldn’t be less than a solid majority.
Unknown is whether such a belief (which I do not share) would be a deal-breaker for a potential Obama voter. It would be for me; I wouldn’t vote for Obama solely because he kept so close to Wright for two decades — says something about the man’s judgment, at the least.
If I believed that Obama shared Wright’s anti-American, anti-white views, there’s not a chance in hell I’d vote for him. If this is the case among West Virginia Democrats, his campaign is doomed in West Virginia. And hence, nationally.
