Prominent W.Va. Dems To Skip DNC
A trio of high-profile Democrats facing their own re-elections look to distance themselves from President Obama.
| Posted Tuesday, June 19, 2012, at 10:33 AM
Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images.
Man, West Virginia really doesn't like President Obama.
Democratic primary voters made that clear last month when about 40 percent of them cast ballots for a convicted felon over the president in the state's primary. In case the relevant popularity of inmate No. 11593-051 wasn't enough, now the state's governor and two other high-profile state Democrats say they'll sit out this summer's Democratic National Convention in Charlotte. The trio in question: Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin, Sen. Joe Manchin, and Rep. Nick Rahall, CBS News reports.
Manchin and Tomblin have gone as far as to express doubt that they'll even vote for Obama this fall, Politico notes. House veteran Rahall, meanwhile, has previously said he'll support Obama but has nonetheless made it known he's unhappy with a host of the president's policies, including his stance on immigration.
The Charleston Gazette reports that Manchin announced his decision in a statement saying that he'll "spend this fall focused on the people of West Virginia" and "on bringing people together for the next generation, not the next election." Tomblin, meanwhile, expressed doubts on Monday about both Obama and Mitt Romney, taking issue with policies touted by both candidates.
All three politicians are up for re-election.
