It’s one of those quirks of politics.

Port Gibson (population 1,670) and Claiborne County (population 11,500), well before the economic conditions being experienced for the past six months, were desperate for jobs and investment. The unemployment rate there has consistently been much higher than the state average.

Their best prospect — endorsed by local officials — was and still is what would be the largest single investment ever made anywhere in Mississippi. In 2002, a consortium of power companies started the ball rolling toward a new nuclear plant near the existing Grand Gulf Nuclear Station. It would bring the county 700 jobs and at least $4 billion, twice as much as the Nissan Plant near Canton.

President Barack Obama has been lukewarm, to be generous, on using nuclear power as a component in his effort to make America energy-independent. He was clear on this as a candidate, saying he would not support any new nuclear plants unless or until the thorny issue of disposing of nuclear waste is resolved. That was a polite way of saying, “never.”

Contrast that with Sen. John McCain, his rival, who repeatedly endorsed a nuclear future and called for dozens of new plants to be operating within the next 20 years.

The vote in Claiborne County was 4,682 ballots for Obama, 748 for McCain.

It’s not clear what Entergy Nuclear will do. A hearing next week will include an explanation of the company’s request for a delay of a Nuclear Regulatory Commission review of its applications to go ahead with construction on approved sites in Claiborne County and in St. Francisville, La.

It is clear that even if Claiborne residents had voted 100 percent for the pro-nuclear McCain, President Obama would still have won the national election.

But it’s worth noting, at least for the record, that given a chance to vote for a candidate pledged to projects that would aid them, most Claiborne voters cast their ballots for the candidate who wasn’t.

The March 23 hearing in Port Gibson may shed insight on Entergy’s thinking and it may not. As for the thinking of Claiborne voters who favored the presidential candidate most likely to ax a major opportunity for them, well, it’s just one of those quirks of politics.