Real People Tour - West Virginia - James DeCamp Photography

The 2004 Presidential Campaign “Real People Tour”. The Real People Tour was a 10 state, 15 day traveling assignment covered by the Columbus Dispatch political team of Joe Hallett and Jonathan Riskind along with photographer James D. DeCamp, who tried to find the real stories and opinions of the ‘real’ people of America by traversing the presidential battleground states in the midwest and finding people in their element. These are some of those stories.

Rosella Orbovich talks with us in the Weirton Senior Center Tuesday October 5, 2004 on day 12 of the 2004 ‘Real People Tour’ of middle America.

Hazel Powell talks with us in the Weirton Senior Center Tuesday October 5, 2004 on day 12 of the 2004 ‘Real People Tour’ of middle America.

Bucky Kilmartin shoots a mean game of pool at the Weirton Senior Center Tuesday October 5, 2004 on day 12 of the 2004 ‘Real People Tour’ of middle America.

Danny Warrick offers his opinions from a downtown street corner in Weirton WVa Tuesday October 5, 2004 on day 12 of the 2004 ‘Real People Tour’ of middle America.

Buck Hawkins paints a fire hydrant on Main Street in front of the International Steel Group – Weirton, Inc. Steel Plant in Weirton WVa Tuesday October 5, 2004 on day 12 of the 2004 ‘Real People Tour’ of middle America.

The International Steel Group – Weirton, Inc. Steel Plant in Weirton WVa Tuesday October 5, 2004 on day 12 of the 2004 ‘Real People Tour’ of middle America.

Gordon Meader talks with us from his van in the parking lot of the International Steel Group – Weirton, Inc. Steel Plant in Weirton WVa Tuesday October 5, 2004 on day 12 of the 2004 ‘Real People Tour’ of middle America.

Bobby Brahmer talks with us from the front of his Antique store in downtown Hinton, WVa, Wednesday, October 6, 2004 on day 13 of the 2004 ‘Real People Tour’ of middle America.

Mayor of Hinton Cleo Matthews talks with us from the counter of the store she runs in downtown Hinton, WVa, Wednesday, October 6, 2004 on day 13 of the 2004 ‘Real People Tour’ of middle America.

Mary Belle Larson takes a break in the town square in downtown Hinton, WVa, Wednesday, October 6, 2004 on day 13 of the 2004 ‘Real People Tour’ of middle America.

Tamara Kentley takes a break in the town square in downtown Hinton, WVa, Wednesday, October 6, 2004 on day 13 of the 2004 ‘Real People Tour’ of middle America.

Donnie Akins talks with us from his parking meter in downtown Hinton, WVa, Wednesday, October 6, 2004 on day 13 of the 2004 ‘Real People Tour’ of middle America.

A coal mine seen along Coal River Road near Pettry Bottom, West Virginia on day 13 of the 2004 ‘Real People Tour’ of middle America.

Nathan Tapley, Jr., fuels his truck at an Exxon station in Van, WVa, Wednesday October 6, 2004 on day 13 of the 2004 ‘Real People Tour’ of middle America.

Michelle Mullins and her father Roy R. Hager talk with us outside of the Big Eagle Gun & Pawn Shop in Danville, WVa, Wednesday October 6, 2004 on day 13 of the 2004 ‘Real People Tour’ of middle America.

Gary Pittman talks to us from inside the Racine Market in Racine, WVa, Wednesday October 6, 2004 on day 13 of the 2004 ‘Real People Tour’ of middle America.

Lois Goodwin talks to us outside the Racine Market in Racine, WVa, Wednesday October 6, 2004 on day 13 of the 2004 ‘Real People Tour’ of middle America.

Benny Hagger talks to us outside the Racine Market in Racine, WVa, Wednesday October 6, 2004 on day 13 of the 2004 ‘Real People Tour’ of middle America.

Republican signs line the south side of WVa State Route 3 while Democratic signs line the north side in Beckley WVa Thursday October 7, 2004 on day 14 of the 2004 ‘Real People Tour’ of middle America.

Rennie Hill talks with us from a street corner in downtown Beckley WVa Thursday October 7, 2004 on day 14 of the 2004 ‘Real People Tour’ of middle America.

Bill Roop talks with us from a street corner in downtown Beckley WVa Thursday October 7, 2004 on day 14 of the 2004 ‘Real People Tour’ of middle America.

Julianna Sweatte talks with us from a street corner in downtown Beckley WVa Thursday October 7, 2004 on day 14 of the 2004 ‘Real People Tour’ of middle America.

Dispatch reporter Jonathan Riskind contemplates jumping into the New River Gorge in WVa Thursday October 7, 2004 on day 14 of the 2004 ‘Real People Tour’ of middle America.

Rennie Hill talks with Jonathan Riskind from a street corner in downtown Beckley WVa Thursday October 7, 2004 on day 14 of the 2004 ‘Real People Tour’ of middle America.

The United States presidential election of 2004, the 55th quadrennial presidential election, was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2004. Incumbent Republican President George W. Bush defeated Democraticnominee John Kerry, a United States Senator from Massachusetts.

Bush and incumbent Vice President Dick Cheney were renominated by their party with no difficulty. Former Governor Howard Dean emerged as the early front-runner in the 2004 Democratic primaries, but Kerry won the first set of primaries in January 2004 and clinched his party’s nomination in March after a series of primary victories. Kerry chose Senator John Edwards of North Carolina, who had himself sought the party’s 2004 presidential nomination, to be his running mate.

Bush’s popularity had soared early in his first term after the September 11 attacks, but his popularity declined between 2001 and 2004. Foreign policy was the dominant theme throughout the election campaign, particularly Bush’s conduct of the War on Terrorism and the aftermath of the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Bush presented himself as a decisive leader and attacked Kerry as a “flip-flopper”, while Kerry criticized Bush’s conduct of the Iraq War. Domestic issues were debated as well, including the economyand jobs, health care, and moral values.

Bush won a narrow victory, taking 50.7% of the popular vote and 286 electoral votes. He swept the Southand the Mountain States and took the crucial swing states of Ohio, Iowa, and New Mexico. Some aspects of the election process were subject to controversy, but not to the degree seen in the 2000 presidential election. Bush was the first candidate of either party to win a majority of the popular vote since George H. W. Bush accomplished the same feat in the 1988 election, and the younger Bush remains the only Republican since 1988 to win the popular vote. His victory also marked the first time that the Republican nominee won a presidential election without carrying any state in the Northeastern United States.

Real People Tour – West Virginia

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