Published: May 07, 2008 10:51 pm         

Clinton clan campaigning hard across West Virginia

Meet the Clinton clan — once more today across West Virginia — and be prepared for some return visits before next Tuesday’s primary.

Although she holds a commanding lead in the polls over fellow Democrat Barack Obama in West Virginia, Sen. Hillary Clinton and Co. are leaving nothing to chance by blanketing the state.

Clinton the candidate is staging a Capitol lawn rally in Charleston, Clinton the ex-president is barnstorming in a five-town blitz and Clinton the onetime first daughter is campaigning in Shepherdstown.

By the time polls open across the state Tuesday, you might see more of the Clintons, campaign leader Jessica Santillo suggested.

“The reason is that it’s still competitive here,” Santillo said Wednesday.

“And all the Clintons are campaigning hard across the state. I think you’ll be seeing a lot of them in the next week.”

Nothing is set in stone, and Santillo insisted the campaign agenda isn’t penciled in beyond today’s whirlwind appearances by the family.

Obama is planning a return trip to West Virginia, although the day and locale were unknown Wednesday.

“He will be back before the primary,” campaign spokesman Tom Bowen said.

In advance of another visit, state Republican Chairman Doug McKinney issued a personal welcome.

“I look forward to a vigorous debate on how higher taxes, threatening Second Amendment rights, taxing ‘dirty energy’ and taking choice out of health care will benefit the families of West Virginia,” he said.

“The more Mountain State voters get to know Barack Obama, the more they will realize Obama doesn’t understand our economy and his political rhetoric is outside the mainstream and out of touch with our values.”

While the New York senator meets with supporters at the Capitol, her husband Bill simultaneously will open his five-town swing in Philippi, then move on to a 1 p.m. rally at Sutton.

Clinton is scheduled to speak at 3:15 p.m. at Fayetteville High School’s auditorium as the mid-point of his Solutions for America tour.

Afterward, he has a 5:30 p.m. engagement at the West Virginia State Fairgrounds in Fairlea, with his day ending in an 8 p.m. address in Bluefield. No site had been chosen Wednesday for the Bluefield address.

The newest Rasmussen poll, unveiled Monday, handed Clinton 56 percent in West Virginia’s primary while Obama had the support of 27 percent. Yet, a sizable portion of Democrats — 17 percent, Rasmussen said — was on the fence with election day less than a week off.

Rasmussen says its results are nearly the same as ones in a mid-March poll.

The poll showed Clinton has a positive image among 72 percent of the voters, while Obama stands at 48 percent — a decline of 5 points since the initial poll

Santillo said the campaign staff hasn’t undertaken any poll of the state’s primary.

Obama won decisively in North Carolina’s primary this week, while Clinton nosed her Illinois rival in Indiana. Based on the latest elections results, The Associated Press reports Obama has 1,840 of the 2,025 convention delegates needed to cinch the nomination, while Clinton’s delegates number 1,688.

“I think there will be lots of campaigning done by the candidate and her family over the next few days,” Santillo added.

— E-mail:

mannix@register-herald.com