W.Va. still skeptical

'A lot to like' about Obama, but Clinton favored

BY STEPHEN BRAUN | Los Angeles Times

May 11, 2008

MOOREFIELD, W.Va. - In Hardy County, Democrats outnumber Republicans more than 2 to 1. But there is little enthusiasm for Barack Obama in this mountainside enclave - a portent of trouble for the Illinois senator in this Tuesday's West Virginia presidential primary and the general election beyond.

Nearly 97 percent white, the county is as conflicted as any rural and working-class Democratic bastion as it struggles to adjust to the likely prospect of the party nominating its first black presidential candidate.

Obama might have emerged from his double-digit victory over Hillary Rodham Clinton in North Carolina and his razor-thin loss in Indiana last Tuesday with a virtual lock on the Democratic nomination. But his performance did little to reassure political leaders here who are concerned by his sagging numbers among once-loyal white Democrats, who steadily have abandoned their party over the past several presidential elections.

"I'm not yet convinced that Barack Obama is more substance than fluff," said Clyde M. See Jr., a former Democratic speaker of the state House of Delegates and two-time gubernatorial candidate who heads a law practice in Moorefield, the county seat. "He's a fine speaker, mind you, but I'm still not sure he's got the right stuff to win the general election."

The concerns of party members who live amid this rolling landscape of soybean fields, poultry plants and retirement cabins mirror those of many white Democrats nationwide: Some fear voters will be turned off by Obama's black heritage. Others, they say, will find reason to doubt his patriotism or will perceive him as elitist.

Concern over voter prejudice

It remains unclear how much racial unease will factor into voting come November. Those hidden impulses are difficult to capture in polling. But seasoned Democratic players here reckon some racially tinged voting inevitably will occur far beyond Hardy County's cresting hills. "There's a lot of bigotry in the country, not just West Virginia," See said.

Fearful the GOP will exploit Obama's "otherness," many observers still insist Clinton's ebbing campaign offers the Democrats a better alternative. Even those who say they would support Obama worry about his electability, convinced many of their neighbors will defect to the presumed Republican nominee, John McCain.

"My worry is there's just too many people in this country who aren't ready to elect a black president," said Charles L. Silliman, a retired Air Force officer who is the county's Democratic Party co-chairman. "There's a lot to like about him. But I'm just afraid that too many people will vote against him based on their fears and prejudice." Silliman and wife, Carmen, are Clinton supporters, drawn by her health care plan and endurance on the campaign trail.

Still, the couple repeatedly has defended Obama - correcting acquaintances who relay baseless rumors about his name and religion. Carmen Silliman has collected a sheath of poisonous e-mails that have flowed into her inbox. "We do not need a Muslim to lead the good ole USA," reads one. Obama is, in fact, a Christian.

Still much work to do

Despite a well-financed media campaign and endorsements from Sen. Jay Rockefeller and Rep. Nick Rahall, Obama is expected to finish well behind Clinton in the state primary, which will award 28 pledged delegates.

"We've got our work cut out for us," said Tom Bowen, a spokesman for Obama's West Virginia effort.

Democratic registration statewide is up more than 16,000 since 2006, compared with only 4,000 for the GOP. But that reflects "as much interest in the local races as there is in the national," said Gregg Ely, Hardy County's court clerk.

There are only a few signs for either Obama or Clinton, but in one yard, a placard with a red slash on it mocks "Osama, Obama and Chelsea's Mama." The sign belongs to Eric Hardy, 38, a lapsed Democrat who works at a woodworking plant.

Now a die-hard Republican and president of the West Virginia Coon Hunters Association, Hardy opposes any Democrat "who wants to go after my guns." Obama "takes the cake," he said, "because of, you know, who he is."

He suspects Obama for his "Muslim name," and the controversy over the Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr. rankles him. "He's just a mistake any way you look at him," Hardy said.