Nov. 2, 2010
Low Early Voting Numbers in South Could Doom Manchin
Campaign 2010: The Raese/Manchin U.S. Senate Race
By Huntingtonnews.net Staff
While Early Voting results in many West Virginia counties like Kanawha, Cabell, and Putnam have been impressive, the one part of the state that this multi-day voting was designed for has not taken advantage of it this year: the southern West Virginia coal counties.
That could spell big trouble for Governor Joe Manchin's hopes of becoming a U.S. Senator,
according to HNN Senior Political Analyst Jack Ellis.
"The Early Voting system was supposed to help Democrats who, in theory, could help get their voters to the polls over a period of days through their local county machines," said Ellis. "But these shocking numbers out of the southern coal counties indicates a huge factor in this year's race, namely that Joe Manchin doesn't have a serious organization down south as other Democratic statewide candidates have had."
A look at the Secretary of State's final numbers regarding Early Voting this year clearly shows that the southern Democratic strongholds are simply not brimming with voting activity this year to date. In fact, six major Democratic counties in the Third Congressional District have the lowest percentage turnout of their voters among all counties in West Virginia:
"Now we know why Manchin kept gearing so many of his ads strictly
to his traditional Democratic base instead of reaching towards the middle,"
said Ellis. "Moreover, this explains why, of all places to bring President
Clinton in for one more college try, Manchin has him down there in Beckley."
"If Manchin had gotten his southern Democratic base energized at all, Clinton wouldn't be speaking there the day before the election," said Ellis. "Both Manchin and Clinton are beating a dead horse. The southern West Virginia Democratic base is clearly fed up with Manchin for not doing more to build up southern roads and other infrastructure. So they're sitting this election out in large numbers."
"This may be the Number One factor for John Raese becoming our next U.S. Senator," said Ellis. "He was able to energize his supporters, his base, while Manchin just wasn't making it happen on his end. Raese's support is deep and enthusiastic, while Manchin's started off broad but is now brittle."
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Low Early Voting Numbers in South Could Doom Manchin
Campaign 2010: The Raese/Manchin U.S. Senate Race
By Huntingtonnews.net Staff
While Early Voting results in many West Virginia counties like Kanawha, Cabell, and Putnam have been impressive, the one part of the state that this multi-day voting was designed for has not taken advantage of it this year: the southern West Virginia coal counties.
That could spell big trouble for Governor Joe Manchin's hopes of becoming a U.S. Senator,
according to HNN Senior Political Analyst Jack Ellis.
"The Early Voting system was supposed to help Democrats who, in theory, could help get their voters to the polls over a period of days through their local county machines," said Ellis. "But these shocking numbers out of the southern coal counties indicates a huge factor in this year's race, namely that Joe Manchin doesn't have a serious organization down south as other Democratic statewide candidates have had."
A look at the Secretary of State's final numbers regarding Early Voting this year clearly shows that the southern Democratic strongholds are simply not brimming with voting activity this year to date. In fact, six major Democratic counties in the Third Congressional District have the lowest percentage turnout of their voters among all counties in West Virginia:
MCDOWELL 2.72% LINCOLN 4.00% BOONE 4.16% LOGAN 4.26% MINGO 4.35% WYOMING 4.92% WAYNE 5.01%
"Now we know why Manchin kept gearing so many of his ads strictly
to his traditional Democratic base instead of reaching towards the middle,"
said Ellis. "Moreover, this explains why, of all places to bring President
Clinton in for one more college try, Manchin has him down there in Beckley."
"If Manchin had gotten his southern Democratic base energized at all, Clinton wouldn't be speaking there the day before the election," said Ellis. "Both Manchin and Clinton are beating a dead horse. The southern West Virginia Democratic base is clearly fed up with Manchin for not doing more to build up southern roads and other infrastructure. So they're sitting this election out in large numbers."
"This may be the Number One factor for John Raese becoming our next U.S. Senator," said Ellis. "He was able to energize his supporters, his base, while Manchin just wasn't making it happen on his end. Raese's support is deep and enthusiastic, while Manchin's started off broad but is now brittle."
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