Cross-posted at Purple State Pundit.
I went to West Virginia Sunday with one of my coworkers to campaign for Obama. We went to Martinsburg, which is in the northeastern tip of the state, near the area where West Virginia, Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania all come together.
For a Jewish girl who grew up in New Jersey, West Virginia was a bit of a culture shock. Martinsburg is only two hours from my apartment in Northern Virginia, but it felt like it may as well be a different country. I had been to West Virginia once before, canvassing for Kerry in 2004, but the area we visited then seemed a lot more suburban and familiar than where we were Sunday.
I want to make it clear at the outset that I in no way look down on the people of West Virginia. The culture shock I felt and my fear of canvassing there has to do with my own insecurity, feeling like an out of touch elitist who talks too fast and has lived on the East Coast my whole life.
Immediately upon arriving in Martinsburg Sunday, we saw a car with a Confederate flag decal. Not exactly the most encouraging sign when you're about to knock on people's doors and tell them to vote for a black man.