COMMENTARY | Convicted felon Keith Judd's election results against President Barack Obama in the West Virginia Democratic primary illustrates how angry voters are with the president's failed initiatives. Texarkana Federal Correctional Institution prisoner No. 11593-051 was a relative unknown until he snagged 41 percent of the vote from Obama, Politico reports.
The primary was not a neck-and-neck race, but the mere fact a prison inmate was chosen by 4 of 10 voters, according to the Associated Press, must be humiliating for the president.
Judd has run in every presidential election since 1996, but this is the first time he earned a significant portion of the vote in a state, according to Politico. If Obama cannot energize his base to vote for him, the chance at gaining the support of independent voters come November is very low.
West Virginia is not the only state where Obama lost primary votes to unfamiliar candidates, according to the Associated Press. In Alabama, 18 percent of Democratic voters preferred the "uncommitted" ballot option. Mitt Romney might be growing more attractive to moderate Democrats concerned about jobs and unsustainable spending.
Obama's illogical views on mining-related issues and energy policies likely played a role in his abysmal numbers in West Virginia. Mining jobs provide a living wage and will not be cast aside easily by citizens or elected officials dependent on mining revenue to fund public agencies and levies. While angst over Obama's unyielding position on coal and natural gas likely cost him a lot of votes in the Mountain State, a jailbird could not capture such a hefty percentage of the vote based on support for just those industries alone.
Although Judd does not pose any real threat to Obama's second-term aspirations, his percentage is nonetheless humiliating for a man who preached hope and change to Americans four years ago. A serious case of buyer's remorse is beginning to sweep across the nation.
Obama is reminiscent of a charismatic kid running for student council. The promised soda pop flowing through water fountains and two-hour recesses did not materialize and now the ballot casters are growing restless for an opportunity to correct their mistake.
