TWO-FACED: Manchin Unapologetic on Guns (But Still Playing Defense). “There’s no doubt that West Virginia’s politics are much tougher for a Democrat like Manchin than they used to be. Consider this: In 1996, Democrat Bill Clinton won 51.5 percent of the state’s vote on his way to winning a second presidential term. Last year, Republican Mitt Romney’s losing presidential bid took home more than 60 percent of the vote. Obama did not win a single county in West Virginia. That Manchin’s admission came in Raleigh County was particularly fitting. Long a Democratic stronghold, the county has fast become GOP territory. The most striking example is Nick Rahall. The Democratic congressman, who has served for more than 30 years in the House, hasn’t won the county where he was born in five years.”