Appalachia Only Part Of Country Where McCain Did Better Than Bush

Matthew Yglesias points out an interesting New York Times map on the one part of the country where John McCain did significantly better than George W. Bush -- Appalachia.

As Ygleias writes:

You can see why John McCain's principled stand against higher taxes on the wealthy would have a special resonance in this region. Liberals who thought race had something to do with those appeals should be ashamed of themselves.

Comments

[plooger]

Well, "Appalachia" doesn't account for the Red in Arizona or Louisiana, does it?

Arizona... McCain country. Reasonable.

But what about Louisiana? Is this Red-shift in Southern Louisiana a result of the post-Katrina exodus of African-Americans from the area?

[Wilbur]

Yes.

Wilbur

[morbie5]

Western TN is not in Appalachia. Arkansas, LA, OK, and east TX aren't Appalachian either.

[EnuffsEnuffAlready]

The Repubs leave Louisiana drowning in Katrina's flooding, yet Louisiana goes even MORE Repubican? WTF??

[plooger]

The Red-shift in Louisiana may be because of all those people who vacated the area after Katrina and never came back. Would be interesting to see more (actual) analysis on the Red-shifted areas.

[wvRadix]

To those of you saying education is the answer, I say you're still missing it. Our rates of education are bad, but really what do you expect? WV is a state where having an education is frankly not worth it for most. Because there aren't jobs in many of these places that require one.

He ran on a campaign of hope. In a state that has very little. You live your life in McDowell County and tell me it'll be all right with some education dollars.

The educated have left. The educated are leaving.

Most have to, else they'll just end up in the mines anyways. When there is no point to it all for generations, other than hard labor anyways, people just give up on hope and beat it out of their kids. Life is supposed to suck, people are supposed to have it rough and there ain't a thing that's gonna change that. He had no record that could get through the noise of the scare tactics, he lacked the Clinton/Bush Folksiness.

And despite that he STILL got over 40% of the vote. Once he has a record of four years, and once they see he isn't holding open the gates hell, he will will this state. He will win because as racist as this place is, the people aren't stupid as a whole just tired, undereducated and resigned. And to echo others here, the snears and derision will only push Appalachians further away.

[xyzwtf]

McDowell County voted for Obama, actually.

[kody1529]

MANDATE!!!
MANDATE!!!
MANDATE!!!

America is center-left.

[helonias]

I live in rural S Jersey, almost below the Manson Nixon line and I can't have a rational conversation with many of my neighbors, they throw out the n word when I even mention BO.

[plooger]

You might start trying out the following response line... "That's President-elect N-word, to you!"

[digoweli]

Actually, the only state where every single county went for McCain was Oklahoma. The same state where the Cherokees kicked out the Freedmen. Digoweli

[Pupster]

This map vindicates Howard Dean.

Long live Howard!

[Seven7s]

Hear-Hear!

[Kiba]

A little Progressive ointment will clear up the rest of that nasty red rash on the map.

[13lotus]

i live in one of the only cities in kentucky that carried obama...and yes, we are blue dots in this otherwise red state. the areas of kentucky...such as appalachia­....provid­es a lot of coal. stripped mountaintops...and yet, the general population makes less than $10,000 annually...medical care is almost non-existent. or very sub-standard. so...if you can find work...usually in the coal mines...it is hard and dangerous work for little pay. however, the companies sure make a whole lot of money. if "clean coal" is going to be utilized...i hope this very poor part of the state gets the attention it needs from the money they will continue to generate for the millionaire coal mine owners.

[JanetMarie]

I think we need to compare this to a map showing the density of the African-American population. I believe we will find that these areas have, relative to the rest of the South, a much smaller percentages of African Americans. I suspect that if we had a breakdown of the vote by ethnicity, white voters in these areas voted much the same as the white voters in other regions of the South, but they were not balanced out by African-Americans turning out in very large numbers for Obama.

[Pupster]

You couldn't be more wrong. Look at the Big Sky areas -- Montana, Dakotas-- the Prarie, the Great Lakes and Southwest regions, that have a relatively small black populations, yet are solidly blue on that map. In fact the state that jumped out most to me was Montana which showed a dark blue, which means that whites voted at a stronger rate for Obama than for Kerry.

Looks like Appalachia were dominated by racial issues (unless you think there was a high density of > $250000 incomes in Appalachia and Arkansas).

[kamknauss]

I live in a midwestern town of around 65000 with almost no African American families. My state voted for Obama. It is an educated state. The oppression of the lower classes by the (shrinking) middle class is not a new tactic used by governments. It is a trick to make you not notice what is being done to you. If they can get you to blame African Americans, immigrants, women, abortion, Socialism (lol) for your problems then you might not notice that they are robbing you blind. For the amount of money that just my state's taxpayers are paying for the war, we could have hired 111,000 new teachers for one year. Check out nationalpr­iorities.o­rg and read some Howard Zinn.

[JanetMarie]

I said other parts of the SOUTH, compare it to similar conservative, Republican areas. I'm trying to suggest that instead of immeadiately positing a poisonous hillbilly/Okie culture, you take a look at the demographics.

[Dysthymia]

For the record, I'm a liberal Democrat, voted for Barack Obama and have never owned a gun. But I live in southeastern Ohio and I really think that the brainwashing by the NRA was a big issue here. People really believed that a vote for Obama was a vote against buying and owning guns. And the republicans, along with the NRA, are very good at playing into that fear. There was also the issue of John McCain. He is a war hero. He had the voters' loyalty and respect immediately. Unlike the war-mongering talking heads of the republican party, people here actually inlist in the armed services and risk their lives for their country. Senator McCain was perceived as (and still is) one of them.

Not everyone who lives here is a racist, ignorant hillbilly.

[Outrageous]

Former Hocking and Athens county resident here. My friend teaches in Meigs county and his students have said as much--that Obama would take away their guns.

[NWBrunette]

The red dots represent areas that should be given a high priority when it comes to Federal education dollars over the next four years.

[cornagainstsorcery]

education is elitist

[keepemhonest]

NWBrunette, YOU are SO RIGHT!!! I used to live in the Appalachia area and let me tell you, education and medical facilites are non-existant. It a shame too because the people are very nice but they are so uneducated they are easily manipulated by con men like Karl Rove etc.

[wrylass]

My EXACT thoughts. This is a map of ignorance.

[avvocato]

Folks:
Appalachia (named for the mountain range) does not exist in MS, AR, OK, LA, TX, FL, AK, CO, etc etc
The A mountains run from Newfoundland in Canada to Alabama but "Appalachia" generally means WV, western VA, KY, TN, northern AL, northern GA, western SC and NC which is not contiguous with the mountains, obviously.
AR and OK are the "Ozarks".
East Texas and northern LA are the "piney woods".
Hillbillies all (in a nice way).
Thus the headline should read - Appalachia, the Ozarks and the piney woods (Hillbillies) only parts of country where McCain did better than Bush"
Maybe there is something to the "Wasilla hillbilly" effect.

[Last-LiberalRepublicans]

EXCELLENT POINT! The author of this is somewhat misleading! You point it out correctly!!

[CaptainStormfield]

Yes. I believe that belt shows the spread of the Ulster-Scots. I would have thought there would be more counties in Missouri and PA. See Joe Bageant.
http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1417423198/bctid1887840713
http://www.joebageant.com/

[MizLiz]

Keep in mind, too, that people tend to migrate. My family, for instance, started out in Massachusetts, but moved steadily south through N. Carolina, Georgia and Alabama. And yes, they took their attitudes with them. If you're born in Appalachia, it doesn't matter where you go....Appalachia is still inside you.

And yes, it has everything to do with race.

[keepemhonest]

Avvocato - The problem with your headline is Bush did BETTER than McCain in the Ozarks & the Piney Woods.

[ericfree]

This map shows the highest concentration in Arkansas and Oklahoma. That's the Ozarks, South and Southwest, not Appalachia. Appalachia has a lot to contend with, principally poverty and exploitation, but it's getting blame it doesn't deserve. There's a real Democratic tradition in that area, especially connected with the UMW. Pockets of it still exist, and, if the Dems work on reviving it economically in the next four years, it will grow.

[ErnestineBass]

"...if the Dems work on reviving it economically in the next four years, it will grow."

Hallelujah and Amen to that, ericfree.

It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness.

[rw97]

I really enjoyed the book "A walk in the woods" by Bill Bryson. It's all about hiking the Appalachian Trail.

[plantgirl]

It was sad to see this headline on Huffpo as I'm usually a fan. Obviously, other readers also have it right by noting the area differences. This article buys into the last great stereotype and that is of Appalachia containing people who are somehow less educated, less valuable or just plain stupid. In the midst of an election that was about inclusiveness, I find this appalling. It's really time that we recognize the stereotype and GET OVER IT!

The reasons why people in Appalachia voted for McCain are nuanced. Trickle down is so entrenched in our national psyche that people buy into it without questioning its validity-perhaps more true in Appalachia, where people deal with being considered backwards-to the extent that it affects their own view of themselves.

Yglesias' comment at the bottom of the post, implies that there was a racial motivation inherent in people's decision, too. No question that racism is alive in the South, but I find Yglesias' cynical comment to be short sighted, not well thought out and untrue. While I do not deny the effect of racism on voting preferences, the issue was much more nuanced including the connection to religion and the perceived value differences between candidates. To imply otherwise, is to tar the area with the same brush that has been used for years-and frankly, does not further solutions to the problems. Take some time to get to know Appalachia (and its amazing diversity) and I think you'll understand differently.