The Wall Street Journal-20080206-Campaign -08- Washington Wire - Insight and Analysis From WashWire-com

Return to: The_Wall_Street_Journal-20080206

Campaign '08: Washington Wire / Insight and Analysis From WashWire.com

Full Text (336  words)

Romney Cries Foul in West Virginia;

Is Barack Obama a Tsongas Democrat?

No sooner had former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee won the West Virginia contest -- and the 18 delegates up for grabs -- than former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's campaign was crying foul.

Mr. Romney's camp accused his archrival, Sen. John McCain of Arizona, of cutting a "backroom deal," with Huckabee supporters to ensure a Romney defeat. Mr. Romney bested both Messrs. McCain and Huckabee in the first round of voting at the West Virginia Republican Party state convention with 41%, but fell short of the 50% needed to win. Mr. McCain didn't win enough votes to continue in the balloting. In the second round, McCain supporters were encouraged to vote for Mr. Huckabee, putting the Arkansan in the lead and the Romney camp in a bad mood."Gov. Romney had enough respect for the Republican voters of West Virginia to make an appeal to them about the future of the party based on issues," Romney campaign manager Beth Myers said in a statement. A McCain adviser dismissed the complaint. "Huckabee won. Romney lost," he said.

-- Susan Davis

A 'Tsongas Democrat'?

Sifting through the demographic information from the most recent Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll, Republican pollster Bill McInturff sees some familiar blocs emerging among Democratic voters.

Mr. McInturff says this race echoes previous ones that pitted an established front-runner against a newcomer. Think Colorado Sen. Gary Hart in 1984 and 1988, or late Massachusetts Sen. Paul Tsongas in 1992. Mr. McInturff said the Obama coalition feels reminiscent of such candidates, all of whom, of course, fell short of securing the nomination. So is Sen. Barack Obama a "Tsongas Democrat," as Mr. McInturff refers to such candidates? Well, there's a wrinkle in this year's contest: race. Mr. McInturff said black voters have in the past been part of the coalition that backed the traditional candidates. But the poll shows Mr. Obama picking up 64% of black voters against 25% for Mrs. Clinton.

-- Matt Phillips