Hillary As Ex-Candidate

From Dana Milbank of the Washington Post:

11:45 a.m., Melrose Hotel, Foggy Bottom: It's Day 7 of the Clinton Campaign Death Watch -- a full week since the official arbiter of the Democratic primary, Tim Russert, declared the campaign over and Barack Obama the nominee. Hillary Clinton's advisers continue to insist that the candidate's prospects are very much alive, but the press isn't buying it. Exhibit A: There are two press buses waiting at the hotel here for Clinton's trip to her victory rally in West Virginia, but the entire press contingent doesn't quite fill one. It isn't until the entourage arrives at Dulles Airport that Clinton aides learn that the second bus is still idling, empty, at the hotel....

2:57 p.m., Yeager Airport, Charleston, W.Va.: A steep descent brings Clinton's plane to Charleston's hilltop airport. After an appropriate wait, she steps from the plane and pretends to wave to a crowd of supporters; in fact, she is waving to 10 photographers underneath the airplane's wing. She pretends to spot an old friend in the crowd, points and gives another wave; in fact, she is waving at an aide she had been talking with on the plane minutes earlier.

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Daily Show Riffs on West Virginia Primary

Hilarious.

Racism in West Virginia

I just want to know what is this mysterious thing that the lady sitting in the cafe "just doesn't agree with..."?

West Virginia Turnout "Average"

Hillary Clinton won the West Virginia primary, but there was not the voting surge that the other states have seen. Obama barely campaigned there. From McClatchy:

Turnout in West Virginia appeared average, according to Sarah Bailey, West Virginia's deputy secretary of state. That would be a letdown from the surge of voting in earlier states, a reflection perhaps of the fact that Obama didn't compete heavily in the state or that voters sensed that the four-month campaign was nearing a conclusion.

Obama has the ability to excite and inspire people and get NEW voters to show up to the polls, thus expanding the Democratic Party's base.

Is West Virginia Welcome in the Democratic Party?

An insightful Daily Kos diary written by an Obama supporter on the importance of not writing off states like West Virginia.

It's gotten a lot of media play and was discussed on Air America this morning.

It will take more than hope for West Virginia. It will take hard work and understanding. It will take urban city liberals [edited because this hick didn't realize urban meant black, sorry!] getting off of their high horses and coming down to our level -- the level of ordinary folk who are ignorant, misinformed, maybe even, shall we say the word, bigoted. That's right I said our level. I'm an agnostic Democrat who votes on economic and social justice issues, but I'm still more like them than I am like you.

Over the last week or so, I've heard a lot of kossacks writing off West Virginia, making fun of West Virginia, and even saying West Virginia doesn't matter. Some have painted all of Appalachia as racist homophobes who will never change. Some even said that Obama is in mortal danger there. Some have suggested that we revert to Clinton-style "states that matter" campaigning, leaving West Virginia and Kentucky behind altogether.

Well, progress hasn't left us behind, and I hope that progressives won't either. If you think progress is impossible in my neck of the woods, follow me after the jump...

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