Amelia A. Pridemore
Crippling gas prices and a deflating economy affect residents in Iowa, New Hampshire — and West Virginia, too.
With the Democratic presidential nomination still undecided, the national media and presidential candidates have turned their attention to the Mountain State. West Virginians had mixed feelings about the long primary season and the candidates, but they believe they should be heard just like voters in any other state.
Al Leftwich of Beckley said back-to-back visits from Illinois Sen. Barack Obama and former President Bill Clinton in March were significant and unheard of years ago. The former president made five stops in West Virginia Thursday and was scheduled to make five more today as he continued campaigning for his wife, New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.
“It used to be that politicians would never come to West Virginia,” Leftwich said. “They just skipped around the state. We weren’t known.
“But we have concerns here, too. Everyone has their own opinions about each situation. You can’t make everyone happy, but we can get everything out there. We can let people know what we want and what we want done. Opinions are good.”
Leftwich said he is a registered Democrat and undecided voter who likes both Clinton and Obama. Either could earn his vote by Tuesday.
“I’m going to pray about it,” he said. “The Lord will put the right person in there. He knows who the right person is.”
John Reed was at the Raleigh County Courthouse to vote early Thursday. The Beckley resident, who preferred not to reveal his political party or favored candidate, believes the Democratic nomination should have been settled a long time ago.
“This is hurting the Democratic Party,” he said. “This is giving the Republicans leeway to get ahead.”
Presidential candidates, Reed said, should listen to West Virginians’ economic concerns. Young people often leave the state to find work, particularly teachers. When there are jobs, other states often offer better salaries — and gas prices, to boot.
“Gas is outrageous,” he said. “You can drive over to Virginia and get it 30 cents cheaper on the gallon.”
Ralph Thompson moved to Beckley just more than a year ago from Atlanta, and the economy is his chief concern. He said American jobs are constantly being shipped overseas, and any available jobs are too often filled by illegal immigrants.
Thompson, an independent, undecided voter, noted West Virginians, compared to what he observed while visiting in the past, are much more vocal than they were before.
“West Virginia has grown. Before, it wasn’t looked at,” he said.
Glen White resident Elden Belcher and Eccles resident Eric Acord say they believe this primary is a good opportunity for the state to be cast in a positive light — for a change. Most of the time, national media only come to West Virginia to cover events that fuel Appalachian stereotypes.
Belcher, a registered independent supporting Clinton, said he spends $100 per month in gas for his compact pickup. He foresees himself and his wife having to carpool to work.
Acord is a registered Republican who said he cast an early ballot for Arizona Sen. John McCain, who has clinched the GOP nomination. Like Belcher, he is concerned about gas prices and outsourcing of American jobs. However, he is not optimistic any long-term solutions will be reached.
“We had some of the same issues in the 1970s, and nothing was resolved,” he said. “The issue dies, and you don’t hear about it for a while. I have a history degree, and you find out history repeats itself over, over and over again. These issues come in 20-year and 30-year cycles.”
Beckley residents Candie Bragg, Josh Johns and William Johns are not optimistic, either, and the three have chosen not to vote at all.
“It doesn’t matter what my vote says,” Bragg said. “(Politicians) get up and tell you they’re going to lower taxes, do all this, and it doesn’t happen. We’re almost paying $5 for a gallon of gas. ... They tell you what you want to hear and make it sound good.”
William Johns said voting was first difficult because he was serving overseas in the military and busy. But because the president is chosen by the Electoral College — not the popular vote — he does not believe his vote counts. He cited the 2000 presidential election when George W. Bush won without winning the popular vote.
— E-mail:
apridemore@register-herald.com
