May 13, 2008, Strip-mine strategy
It seems fitting that Hillary Clinton will win West Virginia's Democratic primary. West Virginia is a state whose major industry is extractive and destructive, to wit, coal mining and these days, often by strip mining. So, in its tradition, Hillary proceeded by simply discarding the Black and educated "overburden" of the Democratic party and going right for those valuable ores and nuggets: older, less educated, hard-working White Americans.
Every time I think of that statement, I immediately think of the telegram sent to the Governor in Blazing Saddles:
We, the White, God-fearing citizens of Rock Ridge wish to express our extreme displeasure with your choice of sheriff. Please remove him immediately. The fact that you have sent him here just goes to prove that you are the leading asshole in the state.
Because, of course, that is exactly what Hillary is pitching to the Democratic primary voters of West Virginia (and presumably Pennsylvania, Ohio, and soon Kentucky) is that like the "White God-fearing citizens of Rock Ridge," it is perfectly cool... no, it is laudatory, that they should not wish to live under the governance of a Black man-- any Black man. Simple as that. She said it. This is why she should be the choice of the super-delegates, because, despite Obama's significant lead in delegates and votes, (1) he's still a Black man and hence cannot win a general election, and (2) his big lead is as a result of overwhelming support among Black voters, who, since they are not the target demographic, should be discounted accordingly.
Any Republican who dared make such a statement might not be forced to resign immediately, but could certainly count their career as over. I'd like to think the same of both Clintons, but I know better: the Democratic Party has always been forgiving of them, no matter how destructive they are, have been or will be, to their own party.
And for what? For West Virginia's lousy 28 delegates? The margin is not yet known, but even if Hillary wins 75% to 25%, she'll only edge closer to Obama's nearly 150 delegate lead by, at most, around a dozen delegates... big deal. Four more superdelegates went to Obama today alone. Why the rest of them continue to sit on their haunches while the Hill-Billy Mining Company despoils their party's environment to the point where it may not be habitable much longer... remains a mystery to me. But there you have it.
Congratulations on a glorious and Pyrrhic victory for Sen. Clinton in West Virginia. Hillary, you earned this one... and you won it West Virginia clean: clean like a slurry run-off.