On the Ground for Obama in West Virginia

[democrattotheend]

I went to West Virginia today with one of my coworkers to campaign for Obama. We went to Martinsburg, which is in the northeastern tip of the state, near the area where West Virginia, Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania all come together.

For a Jewish girl who grew up in New Jersey, West Virginia was a bit of a culture shock. Martinsburg is only two hours from my apartment in Northern Virginia, but it felt like it may as well be a different country. I had been to West Virginia once before, canvassing for Kerry in 2004, but the area we visited then seemed a lot more suburban and familiar than where we were today. Immediately upon arriving in Martinsburg today, we saw a car with a Confederate flag decal. Not exactly the most encouraging sign when you're about to knock on people's doors and tell them to vote for a black man.

I'd love to say my fears were unfounded, but those who say West Virginia is an uphill climb for Obama are not kidding. The first neighborhood we visited was sort of a cross between suburban and rural, with neighborhoods on one side of a main road and farmland on the other, though some of the farm land was being converted into housing developments. It was obvious that people had lived in that neighborhood for a long time, with one house bearing the name of the family and the year they moved in engraved on the front gates. I did not experience any overt racism, but there was definitely some hostility towards Obama. Most people just said "don't even bother" when I tried to give them literature.

The second neighborhood was a little better. The people at the headquarters had said that that neighborhood contained a lot of transplants from Maryland and Virginia, and it seemed a little more modern, younger, and more open to Obama. I did find one couple that was definitely voting for him, as well as a few genuine undecideds. People in that neighborhood were pretty nice, with a few people inviting me in (probably because of the rain).

The weirdest encounter I had was with a black man from Haiti, who claimed to be very educated about the candidates but was convinced that Obama is friends with terrorists and that the fact that Hamas said positive things about him is a cause for concern. I tried to refute his claims but he did not want to hear it. He also complained that he "did not want to vote for Obama just because he's black", and I pointed out that I'm white and I support Obama because I agree with his vision for this country and I think he possesses all the qualities of a great leader. I don't think I convinced him, but maybe he'll think about what I said.

At one point, we took a break from canvassing and went out to lunch at a restaurant called Shoney's. I think it's a chain that's popular in Appalachia...I had never been to one before, but I remember Al Gore mentioning it in a story he told when he spoke to a group of Congressional interns when I interned on the Hill in 2002. I asked our waitress if she was going to vote for Obama, and she said she hadn't decided who she was voting for. She said she was a registered Republican so she did not think she could vote in the primary, but it seemed like she was at least open to the prospect of voting for Obama in November. I knew West Virginia's primary was open to independents but I was not sure about Republicans, so I gave her some literature and told her to call the campaign to find out.

All in all, a bit of a discouraging day, but an interesting cultural experience for me. I'm glad I did it, just like I was glad I pushed myself to go to Raleigh two weeks ago when I was still depressed after Pennsylvania. One thing I will say about West Virginia - it sure is beautiful, especially at this time of year. The mountains of farmland and stately houses created a picturesque spring scene, and it sure was an enjoyable drive (at least on the way there. On the way back it was pouring, though I am hoping I may have won a couple sympathy votes for Obama by canvassing in the pouring rain).

Oh, and lest you think I am a bad daughter, please know that my whole family supports Obama and my mother and grandmother said that they would prefer that I go to West Virginia than drive up to Philly to be with them. I called my grandmother on the way back to wish her a happy Mother's Day, and she said she was proud that I was representing our whole family by being in West Virginia today, so that made me feel good.

[Cha]

1. Thank you, democratictotheend!

You're Awesome!

[AlinPA]

2. Thank you for your brave effort. Admirable. Great report. nt

[Condem]

3. demo

I road a century (100 miles on bike) through WV back in 86. I was shot at with a pellet gun(a hit), spit upon and had a box of KFC bones thrown at me. Suffice to say, West Virginia is a piece of shit. But beautiful!

[yourguide]

4. Way to go!

I have been to WV and some parts of it could indeed be a little confrontational with ANY dem. Thanks for your hard work!

[thewiseguy]

5. Thanks that was a great read

[Yael]

6. Thanks for the report!

I drove through WV once -- from I-95 in Virginia to I-79 into Pittsburgh and onto Buffalo. I was absolutely stunned at how amazing that area of the country is. HUGE mountains lining the highway with houses dotting the landscape, looking like they were literally nailed into the side of a cliff. It was amazingly beautiful. I remember thinking -- "what do they do when it snows"? LOL!

Sorry your day there had mixed results.

I wish I had time myself.

[Shine]

7. Kudos to you!

:applause: Thanks for the report and well done. :yourock:

[K Gardner]

8. Brave girl ! Born and raised in Appalachia, I just had to chuckle at

your experience. Dead spot-on, I might add. For those unfamiliar with Appalachia, it would take time that I don't have right now to adequately explain the "mindset". It is really not so much as perceived by some to be "ignorance", but a singular distrust of "outsiders".

An outsider can be anyone. Northerners, for example, are still outsiders.

The mountain heritage is strong, stubborn and independent. Very slow to adopt new ideas or change long-held beliefs. Proud to a fault. But these people have hearts of gold. It is a strange conundrum. Obama will do badly in W. Va. Probably not quite as bad in KY, as that state is really progressing.

Still, about a year into President Obama's first term, they will start to warm towards him. It will take awhile for trust to develop, but once they see that he is not against them and he is not a danger, they will adopt him like a second cousin twice removed! Mark my words.. even Appalachia will come to love Barack Obama.

Thank you for what you are doing ! :hi:

[Muttocracy]

13. I agree on the outsider mentality

based on my parents who grew up in Appalachia, I saw more of a fear of "outsiders" and "different" or "foreign" people than simple racism. Though there was a streak of basic racism and sexism too.

[sktmax]

9. Thanks for the Report

[Hutzpa]

10. Thank You

for your insight into West Virginia, it really is a daunting task and I want
to compliment you for a job well done.

Keep Hope alive, 'Yes We Can'

GOBAMA!!!

Peace!!!

:thumbsup:

:patriot:

[Coexist]

11. way to go!

[Muttocracy]

12. if you're suprised to see a Confed. flag, you haven't seen much of VA either

(spoken as someone who hails from WV and VA roots and fled north). When people ask where I was born, and I say VA, and they say, me too - Fairfax, I say, no you're from the D.C. suburbs. Not the same!

[The Ghost]

14. HOLY CRAP! Im from Martinsburg!!!!!

I lived there in the early 80's, went to Rosemont Elementary! (I cant believe that Shoney's is still there! WOW!) Anyway yeah Martinsburg is a great town with wonderful people, but your experience doesnt surprise me. There's more prejudice there and throughout the state than straight up racism. At least you tried.

Obama!

[Tinksrival]

15. Awe! Your so sweet!

How could anyone say no to you! On behalf of obama mammas everywhere, THANK YOU!

[saltpoint]

16. Great post.

Thank you.

[OhioBlue]

17. Great Job!!

Thank you for your efforts and for the report!

[JimGinPA]

18. Thanks For The Recap Of Your Experience In WV

A BIG K&R


:toast:

[lojasmo]

19. Good on ya.

Looks like Clinton gets the low information black folks too. EOM.

[mystieus]

20. Love you, democrattotheend

[WA98296]

21. Thank you, and thanks for your post describing your experience there.

[DerekJ]

22. Thanks, :)

[Adelante]

23. What a wonderful report

Thank you so much for trying. I bet you earned Obama some credit just for that. :hug:

[Lena inRI]

24. Your family is rightly proud of you. . .

. . .and you do Obama and us proud, too

. . .and your detailed account brought me back to my only traverse of WV where my best memory is of loving these home-made honey-dipped donuts. . .at some tiny roadside restaurant tucked away in one of those endless hairpin turns through the central mountains.

Ya know, I find the WV "hostility toward Obama" ironic when you realize how his mother's roots are probably with these people!

Here's some genealogy:

"The family tree of Ann Dunham (and therefore Barack Obama) has been connected to Winston Churchill, Bertrand Russell, George W. Bush, Gerald Ford, Lyndon Johnson, Harry Truman, James Madison, Dick Cheney, Brad Pitt

and confederate general Robert E. Lee."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ann_Dunham

Go figure!

Maybe Obama should talk about being "kissing' cousins" tomorrow when he speaks in Charleston. . .he'd have standing!!

:donut: :headbang: :donut: :headbang: :donut:

[theHandpuppet]

25. How brave of you to face us scary West Virginians!

My partner and I happen to LIVE in Martinsburg. Old working class neighborhood. To our left is an immigrant family from Oaxaca, with whom we share gardening tips when I'm not retreiving their kids' soccer balls. To my right is a family of African-American heritage, the father a Vietnam vet of the Muslim faith. Even though they have little in the way of material goods they are pillars of the community and loyal friends. Next door to them, some old-time mountain people whose forebears have been here since Europeans first trekked over the Appalachians. And so it goes like a checkerboard up and down and neighborhood, with people of all faiths, ethnicities, sexual orientation, and levels of education.

And here we are, my partner and I, a gay couple, happy to have a home amongst such a diverse group of people. She from Texas, of an Hispanic background and me, descended from an old Scots-Irish stock of SE Kentucky who to a man fought with the 39th Kentucky, USA, during the Civil War.

In the years we've lived here we have not encountered a moment of bigotry or fear -- only generosity and honest friendship. Folks who would give you the shirt off their back if it was all they had to give to someone in need. You get what you give here. On Tuesday some will be voting for Obama, others for Hillary. Some consider it a sign of dogged independence not to vote at all. We'll all hold to what we believe and remain friends through thick and thin -- and any political differences.

If you want to find xenophobia, you won't have to travel to small-town West Virginia to find it. It can be found in the "best" of neighborhoods, from gated, suburban communities to the hubs of the country's largest cities -- perhaps better dressed, more well spoken, more highly educated, and certainly more dishonest.

So the next time you're in Martinsburg "slumming" at Shoney's (which, by the way, is a SE chain of restaurants associated with the Big Boy franchise of the Midwest) try the Blue & White restaurant on Queen Street instead. The biscuits and gravy are great and the pies all homemade.

[democrattotheend]

26. Whoa, who said anything about slumming?

I just said that I was a little intimidated because it was very different from where I grew up, and I was proud that I pushed myself outside my comfort zone. I think part of my fear was coming off as elitist, which I guess I must have from your reaction to my post. I met some nice people today, and for the record, I enjoyed my lunch at Shoney's...it was quite good. I wanted to eat at a locally owned restaurant, but the ones we saw were closed today (we did not see downtown Martinsburg until the end of the day), and we did not want to spend too much time looking for food because we had not finished our packets. So I figured Shoney's was at least a restaurant I had never been to, even if it was a chain.

I sincerely apologize if anything I said offended you. I thought i made a point of mentioning that people invited me in because it was raining and that I met plenty of nice people. Maybe I was a little too negative at some points...if so, I apologize. And I agree with you about bigotry being found everywhere...it was in my home city of Philadelphia just a few weeks ago that I met a guy who told me point blank that he could not vote for a black man. I remember the time in high school when my suburban Jewish friends said that it was hard to imagine living in the same neighborhood as black people (this was shocking to me, having grown up next door to a black family and not realizing that so many of my friends in high school lived in suburbs that were lily white). I guess I should have made that point in the OP, and I apologize if I offended you. I met many nice people today, but did not feel a lot of love for Obama. That's all I was saying.

[still_one]

27. One important question, were you visiting houses that had registered Democrats, or any house?

They should have been registered Democratic houses

However, if that is the case, that is even more disturbing, because those who want the confederate flag and all it stands for should be republicans not Democrats, since it was Democrats who pushed and passed the Civil Rights act of the sixties

[democrattotheend]

28. Democrats and Independents, I think

And the Confederate flag was not on houses we visited...we saw a few cars on the road, and one guy at Shoney's was wearing a t-shirt with a big confederat flag.

[still_one]

34. I am in California, and that is how we did it, we went to houses that had registered Democrats

Of course California is no WV, and my hats off to you for what you did, and yes it did take courage what you did, thank-you

[sudopod]

29. Good work!

You're a trooper!

Though I have to admit that when I read this:

"At one point, we took a break from canvassing and went out to lunch at a restaurant called Shoney's. I think it's a chain that's popular in Appalachia..."

I lol'd. ^_^

[VolcanoJen]

30. Shoney's sucks!!!

There are plenty of Shoney's sprinkled throughout the rustbelt (here in Ohio for sure) and Appalachia. :-) Each one pretty much blows.

Awesome thread, democrattotheend. You're a sweetheart and you should be proud of yourself for getting out there and meeting your fellow Americans. I've done a lot of canvassing for Obama and some places are heartbreaking while others lift my spirits. It's a mixed bag. I actually do think canvassing for Obama was easier than canvassing for Kerry in 2004 during the general election, down here in "Bush Country!"

Thank you, democrattotheend! :hug:

[Tatiana]

31. Thank you so much for your efforts!

Believe me, those people are going to think twice about Obama. Why in the world would someone like you be going door to door in WV unless there was something important about the man that would inspire such motivation?

Kudos!

:toast:

[VolcanoJen]

32. There was an AWESOME thread on there the other day about West Virginia...

... I can't for the life of me remember who posted it, but it was terrific. A great explanation of the history of WV politics, how incumbents always win, how they don't trust outsiders, how they've never seen a black person (only halfway-kidding)...

If anyone can remember it, please post a link here or kick the thread. It was a real eye-opener!

[CitizenLeft]

33. I love these stories, even if you didn't meet with great success...

...still wonderful that you did it! :applause:

HEY! I passed 1000 posts - FINALLY! :)

[democrattotheend]

41. Congrats on 1,000 posts

:applause:

[zulchzulu]

35. Great report! Thanks for your hard work... n/t

[AZBlue]

36. THANK YOU! And for those of us who can't join you in W. VA, phone bank!!!

http://my.barackobama.com/page/contact/splash/callwestvirginia

[goclark]

37. Yea for you and yea for Obama!

We are so thrilled with your post.

Rest well knowing that you worked for CHANGE in our country.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

[stillcool]

38. That is so cool...

Stories like yours impress the hell out of me. Thank You.

[usregimechange]

39. You rule!!

[woolldog]

40. k&r

[Catherina]

42. Thanks for this excellent post and your hard work

I'm sure you reached a few people :applause:

[TheDonkey]

43. You've pretty much summed up WV in this line "discourging but an interesting cultural experience"

many of those people are just too ignorant and narrow-minded to ever be reasoned with. Not to sound harsh, I lived in the area. Things will change with time though, I hope, and an Obama presidency will help.

[1awake]

44. I was raised in WV,

and after moving around through several states, decided to come back here to raise my children. I'm sure West Virginia would be a culture shock for many.. even Martinsburg which is not so much like the rest of the state. West Virginia breaks down into three basic sections. One is the eastern panhandle which is more like Maryland than anything else (no offense intended to Martinsburg people). The second would be the Northern panhandle which consists primarily of the Steel Mills. Finally, everything else falls into the third, which consists of coal mine workers and not much else.

You will find alot of rebel flags flown or on trucks, but most are used more for a general defiance than anything else (no, I'm not defending its use). People here DO have a general distrust of outsiders, whether they be Democrats, Republicans, Northerns, southerners, or anything else. Most people here.. from my life time experience, how do I put this.. wear their party affiliation like hats, and change them just as often. Party means less to them than the person standing in front of them. Byrd is a unique situation. He use to go to the fairs and play the fiddle with / for everyone.. people deeply trust him.

Anyway, I'm glad you got to see a piece of West "by God" Virginia ;-) I have been, and will continue to talk about Obama with my community even though time is running out.