W.Va. Democratic race ‘wide open’

By JOSELYN KING, For The Weirton Daily Times

WHEELING — West Virginia Democratic Party Chairman Nick Casey said it was just two days ago he thought U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton had a lock on winning the Democratic presidential nomination in West Virginia.

But in light of this week’s results in North Carolina and Indiana, now he’s not so certain Clinton, D-N.Y., will be the victor over U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill, in the state.

What Casey is sure of is that West Virginia is going to be “the center of the political universe” through the May 13 primary election.

“I don’t know who is going to win,” he said. “It was common wisdom a day ago (on Monday) that Sen. Clinton was likely to win West Virginia. This thought was based on demographics, the results in neighboring areas in Ohio and Pennsylvania and her momentum.”

“But now, with activities (on Tuesday), certain expectations didn’t happen. There is to be a good week of campaigning by both campaigns in the coming days — but the dynamics are different today than they were yesterday. The race is wide open.”

Following this week’s results in North Carolina and Indiana, Obama leads Clinton in the number of projected delegates — 1,584 to 1,413, according to Associated Press figures. When a survey of superdelegates is added into the mix, the figures are 1,840 to 1,684 in Obama’s favor.

The next stop for the candidates is West Virginia, and next week’s primary election is going to put the state in the camera lens of the national media, Casey noted.

“I suspect we’re going to be at the center of the political universe for a couple of days,” he said. “From a national media perspective, they will be looking at the interests of West Virginians, how we conduct ourselves and what good people we are. The whole country will get a chance to see us in action.

“We are now the actors and decision makers deciding who our next president will be, and that person is likely to be a Democrat.”

Both Clinton and Obama have scheduled events in the Charleston area for this week, though both campaigns have had a significant presence in the state since late April.

“The Obama folks came in earlier,” Casey noted. “And people were impressed with their crew. They used local talent.”

Unlike presidential campaigns in the past, Casey said the Obama campaign contacted the state party office and asked for names of local people who might want to work for the campaign in the state.

“They also are paying them,” he said. “They believe the best way to get the message out is to have people here who can communicate with West Virginia voters.”

Casey said the Clinton campaign also is utilizing local talent in its West Virginia campaign.

As a state party chairman, Casey is among the superdelegates who will cast unpledged votes for the party’s presidential nomination at the Democratic National Convention, slated for Aug. 25-28 in Denver.

He hasn’t yet decided who he will support.

“I’m very interested in seeing how the vote goes on May 13,” Casey said. “I still need the guidance of those who request a Democratic ballot.”