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

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

I don't understand the Yglesias quote.

Because there are so many rich yet non-racist folk in Appalachia?

[Woodley56]

He was being sarcastic.

[bdaved]

Matthew Yglesias didn't mention Appalachia. The map doesn't support the headline at all, unless Appalachia now stretches from Amarillo to Lake Charles to eastern Tennessee. Did Sarah Palin write the headline?

[j0em0mma]

I believe what this map depicts are those areas where people voted against Obama because of his race. Thank heaven's it is such a small and non-influential area...

[Agnim]

Much like the so-called 'inner citities', Appalachia has been neglected.
As a result, a kind of regressive taleban-like mentality has been allowed to grow in Appalachian mountains of mindlessness.
Solution for Appalachia is to fill Appalachia with good schools and hi-tech. Education and enterprises will take Appalachians out of the stone age. lol

[Housewife]

I guess it is clear where the education resources need to be focuse. Alaska needs to be on that list as well.

[gcallaghan]

Set aside additional funds for Appalachian and Alaskan remedial education

[shirleyfeeney]

So Appalachia went Republican moreso than before...how is that a surprise? The only surprise that I can think of is why they wouldn't want a change and lower taxes. This doesn't strike me as a particularly wealthy area...Not to mention that many in the highlighted areas were strongly affected by Katrina.

How quickly they forget the failure of their government to their plights...

[TerryTheTerrorist]

The hills are alive
With the sound of hatred

[larmarch5]

"You can see why John McCain's principled stand against higher taxes on the wealthy would have a special resonance in this region"

Sorry, I do not see this parallel. These are not wealthy regions. Perhaps these voters think they are going to win the lottery?

What I do see is a representation of the "Bible and racist" belt. I have relatives in LA, AR, and Houston and I used to live north of Dallas. I know these religeous people that use the Bible to justify their racism. Interesting that OK has become our "reddest" state. That surprised me.

[blueberrykate]

I'm pretty sure he was being sarcastic.

[Elleagout]

He is joking right? I'm gullible and not familiar with Mr. Ygleias, please inform.

[BlueOnBlue]

Yes. It's called irony.

[fanno]

the new Mason-Dixon line

[TerryTheTerrorist]

Facetious.

[GeorgeP922]

So Apalacia is DEFINATLY the new south.

WV, I hardly knew yee, you voted all Dems this year except Barack Obama, I hope Rockefeller comes out and apologized for the state.

I live in Maryland and am ASHAMED of my neigbhor West Virginia (and I am so proud of Viriginia and my old friend PA)

[trubski]

The head line of this article is rather misleading. Louisiana, the Gulf Coast, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas are not part of Appalachia, but Central Pennsylvania up into New York State is, as is western North Carolina and northern Georgia.

The region indicated on this map includes a large part of Appalachia, but it also misses a lot and includes much which has nothing in common with Appalachia at all. I don't know what you would call it, the right wing crescent?

[shirleyfeeney]

I agree with you on that. I'm from that part of NY/PA and wondered the same thing...

[pennsykid2000]

He should have added the Ozarks (Arkansas), and not just Appalachians, but most of the darker areas of the map are "hill country" of the old "border states" of the Confederacy/Union: TN, KY, WV, western VA.

[DianeTreehugger]

One word. Inbreeding.

[jeanrenoir]

Bush didn't have Hillary to warm up the yahoos for him.

[gle helle]

I think it's probably safe to stop the Hillary bashing now.

[LiberalDemIda]

This isn't bashing Hillary. This is bashing the yahoos.

[HHarvey]

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.

Well, where are the polls showing it was not race over economic stability? Gee, I didn't realize most of Appalachia was in the 5% upper tax bracket. This comment by ygleias makes no sense if most of Appalachia would benefit under an Obama tax plan which I believe is nearer to the truth. It's just the old tired ideology they live by "it's my money and I don't want welfare people to have it" as if that is the only place their tax dollars actually goes to. Someone needs to tell Appalachia that even republican presidents funneled their money to welfare too.

[zumpie]

My thoughts exactly, we're actually looking at some of the poorest areas in the country. And what all these right wingers with their I don't want my tax dollars going to welfare forget is---far more tax dollars come from BLUE states and go in to RED states

[Grunty1]

Maybe we should stop that trend. If the red states don't want welfare, despite using it the most, maybe we should let them have their way for a while?

[Agnim]

I think Yeglesia's comment about poor Appalachians was 'tongue in cheek'. lol

Everyone should conclude that sending Sarah Falin into Appalachia was for her to play the 'culture card' -- latest euphemism for 'race card'. lol

Remember McCaint used to ask, "who is the real Obama"? He was talking that 'code' to the Appalachians. lol

[robXdion]

Obama needs to formulate some sort of green energy producing industry in that region. That'll open their minds while filling their pockets.

[GeorgeP922]

That would a sleeper success, Man if I was Obama I would take it personal, maybe even focus ridiculously on that area.

I like your idea!

[gcallaghan]

Legalize Moonshine

[LiberalDemIda]

And they need BROADBAND. That's something Obama has promised for all America.