CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- Some wanted Barack Obama. Most wanted Hillary Clinton. Some even tried to suggest an endorsement for one-time Republican presidential hopefuls Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee.

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. The emails and letters started arriving in early January as it became apparent superdelegates would play a bigger role in deciding the presidential nominee for the Democratic party.

Governor Manchin's office received more than 400 emails and letters about the process. 73% of the letters that supported one particular candidate were for Clinton. Ironically, that percentage closely mirrors that of the results of the West Virginia primary, which Clinton won with 69% of the vote.

Out of Staters Speak Up

More people living out of state tried to influence the governor's vote as a superdelegate than those living in West Virginia. 52% of the emails and letters came from other states.

Clinton supporters wrote the governor from 27 different states, while supporters from 26 states wrote on behalf of Obama. California had the most letters for both candidates. Four letters came to the governor from London, England in which supporters of Clinton encouraged the governor's endorsement.

57% of the correspondence in support of Obama came from out of state, while Clinton had a near 50-50 split of in-state support compared to out of state support. (128 of her 258 support letters came from West Virginians)

Pre-Teen Donor Included in Emails

The letter writers 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.

Manchin's Response

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.

Many citizens received the following standard response:

Thank you for your recent email regarding my vote as a superdelegate in the Presidential election. I am planning on waiting until after the outcome of the West Virginia primary. At that time, I will cast my vote for the candidate who wins the popular vote in West Virginia.

I am happy to see that you have taken an interest in our country's election process.

Sincerely,

Joe Manchin III
Governor of West Virginia

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.

"She says I'm going to announce and I'm going to support Barack Obama. I'm asking respectfully that all my supporters and friends in West Virginia would unite because the challenges we have to change this nation are bigger than any one person. We are going to be together. I said Hillary do you mind if I say what you're saying here so people would know this is your request. She said no. So that's what I did," Governor Manchin told WSAZ.com.

Upset at the Process

Some writers expressed concerns about the Florida/Michigan delegates, the superdelegate process and the governor's comments on how popular vote should count in the equation.

Many of those letters did not endorse either candidate specifically, but an analysis of those "process" letters by WSAZ.com reveals more Clinton supporters based on the argument.

Not Everyone is in the Know

While many people had detailed reasons in their letters for why the governor should support one particular candidate, not everyone brushed up on their political knowledge.

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.

The governor received a few letters from people in May upset for his endorsement of a candidate.

One woman wrote, "you look like a puppet on a string in your endorsement of that horrible Senator from NY, Hillary Clinton."

Another wrote on May 20th, "I am disgusted at the thought of you, going against the W.V. voters. You choose to endorse Obama even after the people have spoken."

The governor did not endorse until June 6th.

Some even 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!!!!"

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.

Not everyone even knew they were discussing the superdelegate issue with Governor Joe Manchin of West Virginia. One of the letters, from Altamonte Springs, Florida, greeted Governor Bredesen. Phil Bredesen is the governor of Tennessee.

Manchin: Process needs to change

In the wake of the national attention on superdelegates, Governor Joe Manchin says the process needs to change. He is encouraging other Democratic party officials to require superdelegates to hold off on their endorsements of candidates until after the primary election season is over entirely.

"I've always said let's go through the whole process," Manchin told WSAZ.com.

Timeline of Obama Endorsements

February 29th - Jay Rockefeller
March 6th - Nick Rahall
May 13th - West Virginia Primary
May 19th - Robert Byrd
May 29th - Alan Mollohan
June 6th - Joe Manchin