WSAZ.com reviewed hundreds of emails and letters sent to West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin, one of the hundreds of people across the country with the coveted yet much maligned role of superdelegate to the Democratic party. Governor Manchin’s office received more than 400 emails and letters about the process.
In late January, one person wrote the governor to suggest a cross party endorsement of Mike Huckabee. A few days later, another writer requested the endorsement of Mitt Romney.
Some perpetuated the myth that Obama is Muslim. A man from West Virginia wrote to Governor Manchin in late March to say, “I say send this Muslim where he belongs and it is not the White House!!!!”
A correspondence from Hurricane, WV, indicated the voter was so upset with the endorsement of Obama from United States Senators Jay Rockefeller and Robert Byrd and West Virginia Congressmen Nick Rahall and Allan Mollohan, that he would never vote for them again. Rahall and Mollohan do not represent Putnam County.
One of the letters, from Altamonte Springs, Florida, greeted Governor (Phil) Bredesen.
The letter writers also included Dalton Hatfield, a fifth grader from Pike County, Kentucky, who made national headlines for selling his bicycle and video games to raise more than $400 for Mrs. Clinton’s campaign. Hatfield wrote the governor on May 19th and asked him to support the state’s popular vote and endorse Clinton.
Many of the emails returned from the governor’s office indicated the governor would endorse the candidate who won the popular vote in West Virginia’s primary. On Friday, June 6th, Governor Manchin endorsed Obama and not Clinton, the winner of the popular vote in the state.
Manchin told WSAZ.com he made his decision only after getting a blessing from Clinton on Thursday, June 5th. On that day, Manchin says he spoke with Mrs. Clinton, former President Bill Clinton and Obama within a short time span.
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