From The Hotline Latest Edition for Wednesday, May 7,2008

WEST VIRGINIA (5/13 PRIMARY)

You're Out Of Touch, I'm Out Of Time

Wed. May 7, 2008


Barack Obama "has saturated" the state with TV ads attacking the oil industry. A new TV ad from Hillary Clinton also "chastises the oil industry," and the two candidates have sparred over how to solve the ongoing gas price problem. WV Oil Marketers and Grocers Assoc. exec. dir. Jan Vineyard: "I don't know if they should (latch onto gas prices as a campaign issue), but they're doing it because it's the popular thing to do...So often, politicians have used big oil in their campaign ads. But now everyone's paying attention. People are at a choking point." WV Univ. prof. Neil Berch believes that the campaigns, for the most part, "are making it the top issue" while voters may have other higher-priority concerns. Berch noted that both the Clinton and Obama camps "are also running commercials" tackling the gas price issued in other states.

Berch: "Clinton's out there saying Obama's out of touch. Obama's calling it a silly proposal. People are certainly talking about gas prices, but they might realize it's not a large amount of money. If they cut the gas tax, it doesn't mean the price will drop that much" (Stump, Charleston Daily Mail, 5/6).