McCain vs Obama: WV Voters opinions

What role does race, religion and other types of prejudice play in West Virginia politics?

That’s the topic of a conference being held tomorrow at Marshall University in Huntington. "Race, Politics and Stereotypes in West Virginia," is being sponsored by Marshall, West Virginia State University and West Virginia Wesleyan College.

The conference grew out of the coverage of West Virginia’s Democratic Primary contest between Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Clinton won West Virginia by a huge margin -- only her former home state of Arkansas supported her more.

According to one exit poll, 22 percent of West Virginians said race was a factor in their decision – and 8 percent said race was the most important factor. That number was one of the highest in the nation.

And then, there were interviews like this one conducted by Anna Sale.  Martin Hunt is a disabled coal miner

in Logan County.  He says, "there’s no way under the heavens I’d vote for Obama, because of his beliefs. He’s a Muslim."

Others we interviewed in May believed the false rumor that Obama was a Muslim. Some even admitted that they wouldn’t vote for a black man – or that they might, but their friends and family never would.

We received both praise and criticism for airing stories about potential racial and religious prejudice in the Democratic primary. The critics said we gave the impression that all West Virginians thought like the voters we featured in these stories.

So earlier this week, our reporters fanned out across the state to ask voters two simple questions – who do you support for president and what do you like and dislike about Obama and the GOP candidate, Senator John McCain.

We selected 12 of those interviews that we believe represent the people we met. Seven supported McCain, four wanted Obama, and one was leaning toward McCain but basically undecided. The reasons they give are as complex and varied as the people of our region.