FAYETTEVILLE, W.Va. -- As a fog enveloped the nearby New River yesterday on a chilly, rainy afternoon, this small town an hour southeast of Charleston was covered in a similar haze about which way its residents would tilt in today's Democratic presidential primary.

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is expected to win West Virginia decisively, and Sen. Barack Obama expects most of his support to come from the state's urban areas and college towns, but Fayetteville's odd combination of demographics makes it tough to predict.

In the Clinton corner, for the most part, are lifelong Fayetteville residents, many of whom packed the Fayetteville High School gymnasium Thursday to hear former President Bill Clinton stump for his wife. The visit was a source of pride for the community and helped sway a few voters.

Fayetteville native Stacy Yost, 36, went to Mr. Clinton's rally with her 6-year-old niece, who won't really appreciate shaking the former president's hand until she's older.

"It was really neat," said Ms. Yost, who decided to vote for Mrs. Clinton after hearing Mr. Clinton's eloquent arguments. Her job at a picture framing and craft store downtown doesn't provide health insurance, so Mrs. Clinton's quest for universal health care appealed to her.

Even though Mr. Obama has only appeared in the state in March and at a rally yesterday in Charleston he has plenty of supporters here as well, many of whom migrated in from elsewhere. They came for the rafting and hiking available in the scenic New River Gorge and are the engine for the area's tourist-driven economy.

Thom Merkle, 35, working the counter at Pies and Pints pizza shop, moved here a year ago from Baltimore to take advantage of the outdoor opportunities and has been volunteering for the Obama campaign, making phone calls. He cited Mr. Obama's change message and his landmark speech on race in America as reasons for supporting him.

"His Philadelphia speech was incredible," Mr. Merkle said. "He just has an excitement around him."

But as is the case elsewhere in the country, the economy is at the top of the list for voters here. For a place that touts itself as a six-hour or less drive from 50 percent of the U.S. population, high gasoline prices mean fewer visitors.

Erin Yakim, 38, a manager and guide at Hard Rock Climbing Services, said many local outdoors businesses have had to rethink multi-day trips that take groups to various destinations because it is so expensive to transport them.

"People are being a bit more frugal," said Ms. Yakim, who grew up in Morgantown and attended West Virginia University before moving to Fayetteville. She said she was supporting Mr. Obama because of "a feeling that he would be a better candidate as far as what he has offered, how he approaches things."

The new and old factions in Fayetteville are at odds over more than just presidential politics, too.

"A lot of locals don't necessarily see tourism as a benefit to the area," Ms. Yakim said. "But if we didn't have that [the economy] would still be based on coal and logging for the most part."

Nancy McKown, 67, a retired schoolteacher and member of the town council, disagreed, calling Fayetteville "a little small community with a big family feel."

Mrs. McKown is supporting Mrs. Clinton, based in large part on the former president's visit on Thursday, for which the Fayette Theater downtown still proudly displays "Welcome President Clinton" on its marquee.

What everyone here can agree on is that it's nice to be in the political spotlight. The last time West Virginia got so much national attention during primary season was in 1960, when John F. Kennedy successfully swayed the largely Protestant state to vote for a Catholic candidate, helping propel him to the Democratic nomination and eventually the presidency.

With a poll conducted over the weekend by Suffolk University showing Mrs. Clinton with a 60-24 advantage, there is little doubt about which candidate will emerge as the winner today. But in November, Democrats hope West Virginia -- a potential swing state that voted for George W. Bush twice -- overcomes its prejudices as it did in 1960.

"I'm hoping because of the state of the world that surely West Virginia would not put the focus on female and African American, and look at the state we're in and vote Democratic," said Calentha Quesenberry, 57, the director of the Fayetteville Convention and Visitors Bureau.

"But who knows?"