DANVILLE, W.Va. - State Democratic Party leaders toured the Southern coalfields Saturday to boost support for their ticket - especially presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama, whom voters here rejected by wide margins in the May primary.
DANVILLE, W.Va. - State Democratic Party leaders toured the Southern coalfields Saturday to boost support for their ticket - especially presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama, whom voters here rejected by wide margins in the May primary.
Recent polls in West Virginia show Obama getting closer to GOP candidate Sen. John McCain, and Democratic leaders see coalfield voters as key to any Obama victory.
Southern West Virginia used to be a reliable stronghold for Democrats in presidential elections.
But in 2004, President Bush beat Democratic candidate Sen. John Kerry in Mercer, Raleigh, Wayne and Wyoming counties in the coalfields - and came close to beating him in other coalfield counties.
Now, President Bush has approval ratings lower than any president since Harry Truman, and Republican candidates are struggling across the nation.
Boone County residents gathered at Lick Creek Park as part of Saturday's "Tour for Change."
"Boone County is ready to vote for Barack Obama," said Sue Ann Zickafoose, chairwoman of the Boone County Democratic Party. "The GOP has nothing new to say to us."
United Mine Workers President Cecil Roberts reminded the crowd McCain voted with President Bush 90 percent of the time.
"He votes against you. He votes against coal miners. He pushes for deregulation of the finance industry," Roberts said.
Health insurance is a key issue this year, Roberts said. McCain wants to tax employers for the health-care benefits they provide to their employees.
"Today 20 percent of the people in West Virginia do not have health insurance. McCain's plan will add more than 10 percent to that number," he said.
State Treasurer John Perdue told the crowd he grew up on Dog Fork Hollow in Boone County, and that Obama would be better for the coalfields than Bush has been.
"When President Clinton was president, he balanced the budget," Perdue said. "Clinton left this president with a surplus. But this president took that surplus and changed in into a $10 trillion deficit. It is time to make a change."
Perdue praised our soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan and returning veterans. "We need to be proud of our veterans. George Bush sends them off to war. But when they come back, they have no benefits."
DANVILLE, W.Va. - State Democratic Party leaders toured the Southern coalfields Saturday to boost support for their ticket - especially presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama, whom voters here rejected by wide margins in the May primary.
Recent polls in West Virginia show Obama getting closer to GOP candidate Sen. John McCain, and Democratic leaders see coalfield voters as key to any Obama victory.
Southern West Virginia used to be a reliable stronghold for Democrats in presidential elections.
But in 2004, President Bush beat Democratic candidate Sen. John Kerry in Mercer, Raleigh, Wayne and Wyoming counties in the coalfields - and came close to beating him in other coalfield counties.
Now, President Bush has approval ratings lower than any president since Harry Truman, and Republican candidates are struggling across the nation.
Boone County residents gathered at Lick Creek Park as part of Saturday's "Tour for Change."
"Boone County is ready to vote for Barack Obama," said Sue Ann Zickafoose, chairwoman of the Boone County Democratic Party. "The GOP has nothing new to say to us."
United Mine Workers President Cecil Roberts reminded the crowd McCain voted with President Bush 90 percent of the time.
"He votes against you. He votes against coal miners. He pushes for deregulation of the finance industry," Roberts said.
Health insurance is a key issue this year, Roberts said. McCain wants to tax employers for the health-care benefits they provide to their employees.
"Today 20 percent of the people in West Virginia do not have health insurance. McCain's plan will add more than 10 percent to that number," he said.
State Treasurer John Perdue told the crowd he grew up on Dog Fork Hollow in Boone County, and that Obama would be better for the coalfields than Bush has been.
"When President Clinton was president, he balanced the budget," Perdue said. "Clinton left this president with a surplus. But this president took that surplus and changed in into a $10 trillion deficit. It is time to make a change."
Perdue praised our soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan and returning veterans. "We need to be proud of our veterans. George Bush sends them off to war. But when they come back, they have no benefits."
State Auditor Glen Gainer said Democratic Party leaders would be good for coal.
"One candidate for president has voted for clean coal technology: Barack Obama. His district in Illinois had coal miners in it.
"And that man will fight for fair trade, not free trade. All free trade has gotten us is a one-way trip to China," Gainer said.
Both Perdue and Gainer are running unopposed in their re-election efforts.
Before the Boone County event, the tour stopped first in Lincoln County at the Chuck Yeager Veterans Memorial near Corridor G.
There, Nick Casey, chairman of the West Virginia Democratic Party, said, "The strength of this party is in Southern West Virginia."
After leaving Boone County, two buses filled with Democratic Party officials, leaders and activists headed for stops in Logan, Williamson, Welch, Bluefield, Princeton and Beckley.
Attorney General Darrell McGraw and Secretary of State nominee Natalie Tenant also made the eight-county tour.
Before the buses pulled out of downtown Charleston early Saturday, Gov. Joe Manchin told a crowd gathered at the AFL-CIO headquarters:
"There has never been an election so important in my life. And not only for me - for my children and grandchildren. There is nothing responsible about what's going on in Washington right now," Manchin said.
"After this election, Congress will be in the Democratic column. The U.S. Senate will be in the Democratic column. Give us Barack Obama and Joe Biden at the top," Manchin said.
Kenny Perdue, president of the West Virginia AFL-CIO, said this election is "about pocketbook issues, about putting food on the table for our families, about leaving something for our kids."
Menis Ketchum, running for one of two open seats on the state Supreme Court with fellow Democrat Margaret Workman, said state law prevents him from talking about specific political issues.
"But this court will be changed to be one of fairness for working men and women," Ketchum said, if the Democratic Party candidates are elected.
Reach Paul J. Nyden at pjny...@wvgazette.com or 348-5164.
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""John McCain is confident that ignorant, redneck racists are not going to vote for Barack Obama, because Barack Obama is black," said Casey.""