Obama too toxic for West Virginia Democrats

For a West Virginia Democrat these days, balancing the demands of local and national party politics can induce ideological schizophrenia.

The party controls the governors mansion, both of the states U.S. Senate seats and both houses of the state Legislature, but President Obama is so politically toxic in the Mountaineer State that a jailed felon won nine of the states 55 counties and took 41 percent of the vote in the states Democratic presidential primary last month.

The stark divisions were on display again last week when three of the...