Republicans say Appalachia is theirs in November election

May 26, 1:40 PM EDT
Republicans say Appalachia is theirs in November election
By TOM BREEN
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) --

In the heart of Appalachia, some Republicans are rubbing their hands in gleeful anticipation of Barack Obama winning the Democratic Party's presidential nomination.

"The Republicans under Bush were, unfortunately, able to get a lot of votes up and down the Appalachian spine in 2000 and 2004," West Virginia Democratic Party Chairman Nick Casey said.

"I always ask West Virginians if they know anybody who's had their gun taken away, and then I ask if they know anybody who's had their health insurance taken away," Casey said. "Nobody knows anyone who's lost their guns, but everyone knows someone who's lost their health care."

The Appalachian region extends from New York State to Mississippi, including largely rural and white parts of 13 states. After Clinton defeated Obama by huge margins in West Virginia and Kentucky, some political analysts began questioning whether the Illinois senator has an "Appalachian problem."

"We can basically say now how 35 to 40 states will vote in November," West Virginia Wesleyan College political scientist Robert Rupp said. "I don't want to say West Virginia has been spoiled, but it's gotten so much attention in the last two presidential elections because it was seen as a swing state."

If Democrats and Republicans continue to see it that way, Rupp said, the general election this year could see smaller Appalachian states like Kentucky and West Virginia play an outsize role, along with larger Appalachian neighbors like Ohio and Pennsylvania.


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in droves because their base will be energized to keep a Clinton out of office.

Screw the Republicans....it's time to take the fight to them no matter who our candidate is.