While Charleston and Huntington and Martinsburg are still technically Appalachian, I wouldn't classify any of those areas as rural, and it bothers me that those are usually the places that candidates concentrate their efforts around rural issues.

As the media would have it, Obama is having a "hard time" rallying working class and rural voters. However, there are those who either represent in Congress or professed individuals from this population that have some very good advice that I think Barak Obama should consider and heed.

At least a month ahead of Denver, Senator Obama needs to announce that he is taking Senator Clinton as his VP, Gov. Richardson as his Secretary of State, and creating a "Poverty Czar" cabinet level position to be filled by Sen. Edwards. Then together, they spend the month before Denver touring rural, urban, hispanic, and poor America.

Take off the tie and get out of the city. Obama does well in urban centers- we all know this. He can win the rural vote in places like Iowa, North Dakota, Wyoming, Idaho. Now, introduce yourself to rural middle America. Obama only won 1 county in Missouri. It's also a fact that when people get to know him, they like him and when they like him, they vote for him.