What really surprises me is that people will tell someone with a microphone that they wouldn't vote for an African American. I sometimes can't fathom the culture in some parts of the country. Washington State isn't devoid of racism by any means, but there are social and professional consquences for people who openly display their prejudices.

My hope is that it is more a reflection of the age of the populations out East and not a reflection of the geography. I really think that access to the internet will be a vaccine against the xenophobia that isolation breeds.

We can't hold back on nominating good candidates until West Virginia feels they are ready to vote for minorities. Appalachia doesn't get to hold the party hostage.

My main complaint is that the MSM keeps treating the exit polls as if the results are indicative of a national trend. Newsflash: West Virginia isn't Indiana or North Carolina. If W. Virginia's polls numbers are different that isn't because voters changed their minds from last week, it means that different people voted.

That's only the ones that have no problem telling pollsters in person that they are racist.

With Clinton meeting all her self identified benchmarks and Obama consistantly failing to meet the goals Clinton sets for him, how is she not able to seal the deal? It think it is really troubling for her campaign that she can't get the party to support her when, by her standards, she is winning? Why do voters in North Carolina resist her corination?

Can she really claim support for the general election if she loses Oregon, Montana, or South Dakota; especially after winning the "bellweather" state of West Virginia? Because if Appalachia is anything, it is the center of political though in the US. Yessir, Moderates, thy home is West Virginia.

It is almost like the DNC and Democratic voters laid out rules for winning the nomination that are different from the rules set out by Mark Penn.

He meant he was giving up golf in Solidaridad. Which is quite a sacrifice. The El Camaleón is a beautiful course designed by Greg Norman. It's right on the beach.

The president gave up golfing in a municipality of Quintana Roo, what more do you vultures want?

And women of all stripes call me "sweetie" and "dear".

But hey, let's vote for John McCain and see abortions outlawed in most states by 2010, war with Iran, a continued roll back of worker protections (including protections from harrassment), and a continuation of the Bush economic policies that have been super good for single mothers. At least we won't have a president who isn't polite in the way Gloria S. has prescibed.

Forest for trees people, forest for trees.

Wasn't there a Republican Senator in the 90's who told President Clinton something to the effect that if he came to his state he'd better bring extra Secret Service?

I can't imagine Senator Cantwell getting away with saying something like that to President Bush. Or Bill Richardson being allowed to joke about putting John McCain in a Tiger Cage.

Hopefully you never have a falling out with your face. I imagine you would look really horrifying without a nose.

Well, sweat _getting_ the urban vote. They are pretty keen to suppress it.

The coasts haven't had a president in twenty years. If Appalacia won't join the 21st century, or even the late 20th century, that is on them. It is our time.

And it isn't just political. Places like West Virginia can accuss NAFTA of taking their jobs, but they need to look at themselves. It is a state where 25% of Clinton's DEMOCRATIC voters will tell a pollster that they didn't vote for Obama because of his race. How well do you think they treat minorities that aren't running for president? With that level of culturally acceptable racism is it any wonder employers aren't setting up shop in their area? What business is going to set up in a place where they will difficultly getting qualified minorities to move there? Candidates may have to curry favor with with the hill folk, but Boeing, Microsoft, Google, GM, etc don't. Successful businesses are smart enough to know that shrinking the potential pool of candidates for reasons other than their qualifications results in less capable employees.

At some point Appalacia come around or they'll be left in the dustbin of history.