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

[Pdubya]

The comments to this post deeply sadden me. I have travelled the world, lived in 17 states in 23 years in my youth and our representatives have done more to destroy the American spirit in this area, than this area has not done in moving to a 21st mindset.

The facts are: This area is a trillion plus industry for timberland and wood products. 60% of that is under NIPF - Non-Industrial Private Forestland ownership. These are the folks that adhere to the Best Management Practices they practice per State regulated protocols. It is the next 15% of government lands that grossly limit the public use of lands and save their activities and budget for kowtowing to the next 15%: big corporate industry, fueling their takeover of private lands.

This area is still the breadbasket for local markets in the organic industry, as this area is spiced heavily with rural loving hippies. Beef, milk, fruit and vegetables from this region feed much of the nation, resulting in another several billion dollar segment of our GDP. Crime is low in these areas. We get along - we have to and want to. It is a bold choice to move to the country. One good hippie, Willie Nelson, has a wonderful program called Farm to Family that details how the Hill is destroying the family farm - by subsidy and entitlement - to supposed "family farms" by corporate lobby.

[ErnestineBass]

Bless you, Pdubya...y­ou made this old southerners day.

[sueinmn]

I think we need to build alliances with each other around the nation through the internet and keep the information flow with one another rather than how many rely on just local news as I saw in my local area. anyone will to share email and info to keep in touch? Sue in Minnesota [e-mail] Im certainly up to new and more friends. Obama 08

[Pdubya]

I live in the north end of outside The Island in South Georgia, Gainesville, Florida (it is 1.5 hours south of Valdosta, Georgia). I'm a conservative hippe. I have redneck friends. Atheist friends. Christian friends. Its a fortunate pallete, colored with liberty loving people, finding commonalities in order to survive, produce, take care of their family and friends, and be free. We have to, we live in the country. We are at the mercy of our environment, but also freed by its opportunity to be self-reliant. Self-reliant in the community sense.

Maybe some of us don't know a cousin, old college friend, a brother or sister that lives in the country. If you don't, I'd suggest you get to know a few that do. Tough times are ahead for all of us, and these folks will skip through these times compared to those shout from their isolated "progressive" islands. These good people, and most are, are our fellow Americans. We need eachother more than ever. Let us not give Washington the chance to divide the country again, albeit in a different color - blue.

[luvobama]

SHOCKING!!!

[aspecialed]

I grew up in WV. It's a scary place. LOL!! Lot of racist still in Appalachia.

[evgolightly]

http://chrisevans3d.com/files/iq.htm

IQ and politics. The numbers have probably shifted a bit in 2008, but the jist is the same.

[zbjordan23]

I think people are too quick to judge over racism...i­t seems to me that it is just as much if not more a cultural issue. If Obama had been a black southern, bible thumping, gun loving, Christian conservative I bet you a million dollars those areas would probably vote for him over an east coast liberal, gun hating White democrat. If a black conservative had ran and that same map showed that Holllywood or Massachusetts voted overwhelmingly for the white democrat would you say they were racist?...

[urnumbersix]

C'mon! WHO is this hypothetical black candidate? The Republicans have not had a black congressman, senator, governor for Many Years. Not even "tokens." How long has it been since J.C. Watts retired?

The question you pose reveals itself as the problem. It answers itself. You scenario cannot happen. On the other hand, Barack Obama IS President-elect of the United States of America. See the difference?

[dctackett]

I have to disagree..­. they just wouldn't vote at all... or at least not for president.­.. I've known people from that region, I've been there... and it's like another planet...

their problems..­. lack of education, opportunity and hope for the future.

[phoenixdoglover]

A personal note, kind of background to my previous post.

In the summers of 1976 and 1977, I bicycled from Maryland to Oregon, camping along the way. The first year, I went with a group through Virgina, Kentucky and southern Illinois. The second summer, I went by myself down the Appalachian chain and across northern Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and up through Arkansas. I met many people, and was the recipient of many kindnesses. I also had some of the most disturbing conversations about race that I have had in my life.

Now, here we are 30 years and at least a generation later. I am hopeful, but many things get passed down from parent to child, and live on despite all contrary evidence from life's experiences.

[Grrr]

I live in rural Eastern Tennessee and have canvassed in my small town for two African American candidates, Harold Ford jr and Obama. I'm saddened to tell you that I heard the same racial slurs and epithets out there two years ago and two days ago that I heard as a child in 1965. I was actually fearful for my physical safety this time. Only the counties around Memphis and Nashville voted Obama this round.

[j0em0mma]

Thx Grrr! Your bravery will be rewarded one day, rest assured...

[Coinyer101]

as a member of 'rednecks for obama', and a resident of arkansas, you can all see how difficult it is for me to have to live in a sea of white-supremacist stoopidity. i stood my ground against some relatives and friends and hardest of all, my own father, when i marched in on the first day of early voting here, and cast my vote for a man of color. my grandmother was choctaw, so i have some sense of bi-racialism, and have never judged another for their race or beliefs. barack is black and white and also adopted by the crow tribe of 'first' americans. i believe him to have the good of all of us in him, and i await his inauguration with 'hope'.

[sueinmn]

good for you! I praise you from minnesota!

[j0em0mma]

Right on! I lived in KS, OH and AZ for a large portion of my life... I feel yah... Keep the faith!

[momuv2]

Stay strong because you can make a difference and the majority of the country is with you to make that change.

[popizzy]

I absolutely love 'Rednecks for Obama'....­.it warms my heart everytime I see a sign

[UnknownSoldier]

A man went and shot up a Church in Tennessee a few months back and blamed his actions on Liberals. He was unemployed and was listener of Limbaugh and Hannity.

Need I say more.

[TexasDem0]

Yes, can you please comment on the use of one anecdotal incident to form a general opinion?

[uheardme]

Barack was right not to spend much time and resources in that area.

[MsLiz]

As president I hope he will give some thought to that area. Black belt Alabama too.

[dctackett]

I agree... they need education, opportunity and increased connections with the overall society... with that and over time they can change, slowly, but they will.

[mikeVA]

I would like to see some additional demographics. Those regions look like diminishing levels of education, income, employment, diversity and an increase in religious activity.

[JScott]

Yup, hate to say it but it fits the stereotypes of that region.

[j0em0mma]

These are also the states that are in the top ten for spending more tax money than they pay. Pretty ironic to see them continue to vote against there clear self-inter­est...

[MsLiz]

I am reading Jim Webb's book ("Born Fighting") on Scots-Irish settlers in the USA. They don't trust anyone in authority who comes from outside. They were betrayed again and again by outsiders claiming to rule them. If Democrats want to get the votes of the descendents of Scots-Irish immigrants, they better get to know them and stop calling them names.

I will be interested to see if Obama can win these voters over.

[BruceHNV]

I'm Scots-Irish. All generations of my family went for Obama.

[SurferKit]

I'm of Irish descent. All generations of my family went for Obama as well.

[Coinyer101]

he has won some of us over. others are just slow and scared.

[BruceHNV]

And so's ya know, Webb takes a rather narrow and insular view of this issue. It's almost as though he is unaware of the larger, more cosmopolitan population of Sottish, Irish, and (like me) Scots-Irish.

Of course, if you're really going to stereotype, there should be no such thing as Scots-Irish, as the Scots and the Irish "hate" each other.

[MsLiz]

You have stated conclusions without supporting them with facts. I can not follow your thinking, except to feel insulted.

[ptgkc]

We knew race was going to be an issue, now we know where it runs deepest. On the full map, forget Arizona and Alaska, since those were favorite son/daughter states. Also, Louisiana is Katrina driven. Minorities have relocated to Houston, San Antonio, Atlanta, and across the US. So, the hurricane has made Louisiana more like Texas.

The rest from Oklahoma to West Virginia is economically poor and rural, which should be Democratic. However, with manufacturing jobs and unions lost over the last 3 decades, Democrats have lost organizational influence and sway. In the vacuum, the driver is socially conservative bible belt issues. Sadly, these areas have generally with poor education resources and without education, there won't be better informed voters and workers in this area for years.

The area needs to be targeted, as decaying urban areas have been, for growth packages and education reform.

[3worldusa]

the dumbest appalachians by far our the inbred west virginians.

[cmeans29]

Ponder this, Murtha called his own district, "racists and rednecks" but still won decisively.

[wvRadix]

i think you mean "are"