Random thoughts from Decision 2008 (West Virginia style):

Spike Maynard was not the big casualty of Decision 2008.  I'd say Joe Delong fits in that category.  Here's a young politician with a bright future who had a pretty high profile job -- House majority leader.  Then he gives it up to run for Secretary of State and loses in the primary to Natalie Tennant.  He can run in two years, but he won't be majority leader.

====

I still can't reconcile how John McCain can do so poorly in the February vote with the WV Republican convention and yet take the WV primary by 76% of the vote.  Yeah, yeah, I know he's the presumptive nominee now so people are jumping in his corner.  But, didn't the media anoint Barack Obama last week for his party?  He didn't fare too well here.  My point is this -- if McCain wasn't the right nominee for the power brokers of the Republican party in February, then how does he resonate with Republican voters in May?  Is there a disconnect?

====

 Jane Hustead and O.C. Spaulding were salmon swimming upstream in this year's election cycle.  Spaulding announced he would take no donations in his bid for re-election.  His opponent spent some cash on advertising, yet Spaulding won in Putnam County.  Spaulding's incumbency surely did help with name recognition though.  In Hustead's case, she opposed a well financed candidate for an open judge position in Putnam County and still came out on top.  She spent a fraction compared to her opponent.  Hustead seemed genuinely shocked at the outcome when she spoke with Randy Yohe on election night and gave a very honest answer about what lies ahead when said, "it is going to be hard."  I found that refreshing.

====

I predict the Jim Scheidler vs. Tom McComas race for sheriff in Cabell County will be the most civil race since Mike Rutherford opposed Jerry Riffe for sheriff in Kanawha County four years ago.

====

My favorite comment on our webchannel from a viewer this week:

"The two ladies who received the nomination should use Menis Ketchum commerical [sic] against him. Remember it said that the "ladies" are always right, in the tv commerical [sic] that was filmed at Jim's."

Hmmmm, I'm not a marketing guy for Margaret Workman or Beth Walker, but that's kind of funny.

====

The talk of Kanawha County for months has been the money troubles in the city of Nitro.  I'm not an accountant either, but I don't understand why the city couldn't change its charter and put its election on the same night as the state primary this past Tuesday to save money.  Ravenswood voted for a mayor and council Tuesday night.  It can be done.  I know these things take time, but this should have been done a long time ago in all of these smaller cities.