By Tom Breen
CHARLESTON — West Virginia voters welcomed U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton on Wednesday to a state that may play a major role in the presidential primary for the first time in decades.
The May 13 primary has assumed new significance as the race for the Democratic Party presidential nomination is a dead heat between Clinton and U.S. Sen. Barack Obama.
“I’m excited for it,” said Charleston resident Phyllis Rutledge, wearing a pink T-shirt emblazoned with Clinton’s picture. “It’s going to show how much support she has here.”
In front of a crowd of hundreds at Capital High School, Clinton drew her loudest cheers when she said it’s time to start bringing American troops home from Iraq.
But during a question and answer session, most of the queries were about the economy: jobs, the cost of health care and even the price of gasoline.
“I just feel like she has the expertise to fix all these problems created by the Bush administration,” said Jonathan Cline of Oceana.
Many in the crowd said they associated Clinton with her husband, former President Bill Clinton. They contrasted his administration with what they called hard times under Bush.
“I’ve always liked her husband,” said South Charleston resident Donald McNeely. “He was for the working people, so she’s got my vote.”
Democrats form the largest voting bloc in West Virginia, but Bush carried the state in 2000 and 2004. That was underscored by state Republicans, who dismissed Clinton’s visit — and the pending Thursday arrival of Obama — as “political opportunism and empty rhetoric.”
State Republican Party Chairman Dr. Doug McKinney said in a statement he’s confident Republican candidate U.S. Sen. John McCain will win the state in November.
There was little evidence of Republican sentiment at Capital High. The only demonstrators were protesters against mountaintop removal mining, who eventually found their way into the gym.
In Huntington later in the day, Clinton addressed a crowd at American Legion Post 16, focusing on veterans’ issues, particularly health care.
Connie Black, a member of the post, said the most important issues facing the country are ending the war in Iraq and extending health care to more Americans. She likes Clinton’s positions on those issues, reading a campaign handout before the candidate arrived.
“I liked her when she was first lady and I like her as a senator,” Black said. “She has better ideas than Obama.”
Obama is scheduled to visit Charleston and Beckley on Thursday. The sudden interest in the West Virginia primary — normally a ceremonial affair months after the nominee has been assured — is a boost to state Democrats’ morale.
“It’s enormous,” said Paul Ryker, a member of the Cabell County Democratic Executive Committee from Barboursville. “It’s very important to West Virginia that we have an electoral college. Anything to bring attention to our needs.”
At the Capital High rally, Gov. Joe Manchin compared the current primary to the famous election that helped John F. Kennedy win the Democratic nomination.
“For West Virginia, it’s not been since 1960 that we’ve had this much excitement and this much say in who the next president will be,” he said.
Manchin, a Democrat, has not yet endorsed a candidate, and an aide said he also plans to greet Obama at the University of Charleston on Thursday.
