The Billary Hillbillies

As peripatetic postman Cliff Clavin of Cheers fame could have told us, it's a little known fact that the term "hillbilly" originally referred to Northern Ireland Protestants in the 17th century, supporters of King William of Orange (hence "billy.") Only later did the term gain its modern usage descriptive of the provincials of the Appalachian region.

Hillary Clinton, through her dad, is a descendant of British Protestant immigrant forebears who settled in the Appalachian region. Between that background, and her time as First Lady of Arkansas, which includes part of the Ozarks, Hillary Clinton has a natural, built-in base that essentially makes her Queen of the Hillbillies, but little else.

The pundits, pollsters and general populace have it all wrong. Obama doesn't have a "working-class white" problem; Hillary has a non-hillbilly problem. Since February 5, a.k.a. Super Duper Tuesday, Clinton has won exactly two states that were NOT infested with hillbillies. One was teeny-tiny Rhode Island on March 4. The other was a teeny-tiny pyrrhic victory in Indiana.

Recent polling shows that Obama has actually closed the gap between himself and Hillary in what had been considered her core constituencies. Among whites they are tied at 47% and, shockingly, virtually tied (47% Obama to 46% Clinton) among voters with no college education. Most tellingly, he has surged to a 7-point preference among Hispanics. Oregon exit polls confirm these trends, where he won among whites 57% - 42%, among women 52% - 48% and among those making less than $50,000 54% - 45%.

So, clearly, the conventional wisdom about a monolithic national preference among "working-class whites" for Hillary is a myth. The reality is that, if it weren't for the Appalachians and the Ozarks, this race would have been over two months ago. Actually, it was, but like the Hatfields and/or the McCoys, Hillfield McClinton doesn't know when to put up her shootin' iron.

Coupled with her so-called "victories" in the uncontested Michigan and Florida campaigns, the huge showing she's had in those areas has allowed her to maintain the illusion that she is a strong national candidate. But the truth is that she only beats up on Barack Obama in counties that vote Republican in the general, anyway.

Check out this story by Josh Marshall over at TPM. I found this to be one of the most revealing electoral maps I've ever seen. In it, he juxtaposes a map of the Appalachian region, which runs from southwestern New York all the way down to northeastern Mississippi, against a map showing the counties across the US where Hillary has attained 65% or more of the votes.

The correlation is beyond amazing. It is absolute. There are two outliers in the data, among heavily Hispanic areas in southern Texas and in northern Michigan, where she was almost the only person on the ballot. Other than that, Hillary's big margins of victory have come almost exclusively from the Appalachian and Ozark Mountains.

The effect is clear in states that she's won, like Pennsylvania, Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia, and Arkansas.

But if you compare the county-by-county results, you'll see that even in states where Obama has won, Clinton still wins the hillbilly country. Just look at the maps for Virginia, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi.

The bottom line is that, for the last 15 weeks, Clinton's only remaining strength is among voters like Granny Clampett, Ma Kettle, Snuffy Smith and Li'l Abner. She's the Queen of the Billary Hillbillies and almost no one else.

Comments

[ghostwriter5]

The arrogance displayed here is sickening. We live in a democracy--everyone gets to vote--not just the rich and educated. Isn't that what makes America great.? Maybe you folks want to institute a House of Lords to protect the interests of the Harvard grads against the hoi polloi. The Dem party used to embrace the poor and disadvantaged. I suggest that you find away to relate to them and win them over instead of looking down on them.

A PA -born Hillary supporter with a BA, MA and JD .

[Kencleanersystem]

Swell. You've been educated. Good for you, seriously. So, what is your excuse for supporting a blatantly dishonest and unethical candidate? Stupid people have an excuse - they are duped. It's what Republicans have been doing for years, fooling the idiots - living off of that bottom 30% of the IQ range. Watch ten minutes of Fox News and you will catch the drift.
So... why do you, an educated person, continue to support a candidate who is slowly descending into delusional madness right before our eyes?

[darrow66]

ghostwriter5-

I agree with you completely.

Like kencleanersystem and a number of other commenters here, the Obama supporters can't wrap their minds around how anyone would be a Clinton supporter. They figure that you're either ignorant or racist if you don't support Obama.

Tomjuarez says below: "This is nonsense -what's your point? That we (Obama supporters) need to worry about catering to idiots because we might need the idiot vote?"

Gee, Tom. Stop sweet-talking those people who's votes you need! You smooth-tongued devil you!

Yes, Obama. These are your supporters. And they are the same people who are expecting us to get over it, "get with the program" and vote for you in November. To them, and to you I say, good luck with that.

[MKJeeves]

Some good points, would've been better without the disparaging stereotypes.

[ignrnthllblly]

Mr. Collis,

Please study a topographic relief map of the Appalachian Mountains. Compare with the Appalachian Regional Commission map of Appalachia. Note lack of correspondence.

Appalachian Mountains = geographic area. ARC map = socioeconomic / bureaucratic creation.

Michigan peninsula, extreme upstate New York, half the Cumberland Plateau, northern Mississippi = not part of Appalachian geographic region. Excluded portions of Virginia highlands = are part of geographic area. Can't use ARC map to make geographic argument: hillbilly meme won't fit. Can't us hillbilly meme to make socioeconomic argument: ARC map won't fit.

Could confuse and conflate arguments: hillbilly bashers will think you're so smart to be able to pee down both legs at once.

[ImmanuelGoldstein]

Okay heree's a little message to Appalachia from a black American.

And I hope it will be taken in the spirit offered, if not screw you anyway.

Hey, Appalachia do you have idea where we'd be right now if we voted like you do?

If we refused to vote for anybody who wasn't a carbon copy of us?

If we based our vote on petty resentments rather than our vital interests?

If we swallowed right wing disinformation hook, line, sinker, rod, reel ,boat and fisherman and refused to spit it out no matter what facts and no matter what arguments are presented?

I'll tell you where:

We'd still be drinking from the 'colored' fountain.
We'd still be sitting in the back of the bus.
And we'd be the ones picking lettuce for $3/hr. instead of the Mexicans.

So Appalachia the conclusion to be drawn here is simple :grow a brain, swallow a little pride and vote your interests rather than your resentments.

Because frankly quite a few people are starting to wonder whether there any point in trying to form alliances with a group as insular, perverse, and irrational as you are proving to be.

So in short: GET WITH THE PROGRAM !

[ignrnthllblly]

Wow. They certainly couldn't resist such a friendly, persuasive argument. I barely noticed that the spirit in which it was offered WAS "screw you anyway."

As a hillbilly who supports Obama, I would join you in questioning whether there is any point to finding myself in an alliance with someone is so fatally presumptuous, overtly contemptuous, and has nought but the most expedient use for me--i.e., you.

In my corner of Appalachia, no one is going to provide Obama with a plurality. His sin isn't being black--it's being a Democrat. If he were a Republican and said he loved Jesus, he could have oodles of votes from what passes for hillbillies here.

[DennyCrane]

Hillary should be embarrassed that she's winning the Hillbilly vote. If I were running for office, I'd be happy that educated folks prefer me to my opponent. But if it turns out that people are voting for me just because they don't like the race of my opponent, that's not something I'd be bragging about.

[mbh78213]

You can take the Billy out of the hill, but never the hill out of the Billy.

[NorVaGal]

Thanks for this info, Mr. Collis. During the height of the WV and KY primaries many people protested that not everyone who lives in Appalachia votes based on skin color and prejudices, and that in fact many people of Appalachia do vote based on issues and whomever they feel will best represent their unique needs. Also, most of these people tend to be very suspicious of outsiders, regardless of race. Once they get to know people better, they are more welcoming.

This makes sense to me. Promoting stereotypes is always wrong, no matter what geographic region one hails from. I never could understand how after 8 years of Bush/Cheney ANY middle or low-income American could go against their own best interests by voting for John McCain. The polls seem to show trends that economic and foreign policies are taking precedence in voters' minds and they are increasingly moving away from the GOP. I pray so. Too many people have suffered due to the Bush presidency.

[EdCoughlin]

I'm amazed someone actually said what we've all been thinking.

On a related note every time I hear about talk about how "uneducated low income racist Appalachian whites" can/should deny Obama the campaign because they're still stuck in 1911 it drives me nuts. The idea that politics like so many other aspects of American culture should be driven by the lowest common denominator just reinforces everything thats wrong with the current cultural meme.

[VillyVal]

Amen to that.

[rpd123]

You are dead wrong!! I'm kicking ass in Puerto Rico, and I'm pulling in 53 % of the 8 to 14-year-old vote.

Indignantly yours,

Hillary

[ramblingjohnny]

"Queen of the Hillbillies" Priceless! You said it all their nothing more to say than Queen of the Hillbillies!
lollllllllllllll

[4President]

Damn MSM. This is the spin I've been waiting for. Tell it like it is. Reagan Dems, wtf? This country has never been more like it is right now!

[devadasi]

HA! I needed a good laugh...wonderful article!

[Paladine]

So true!

Thanks for a little sanity in a crazy Clinton world....

[conned]

Thank you for stating what has been un-PC to say! This is so on-the-money. HillBilly are the king and queen of the "angry, working-class white voters - aka: racist cooters.

[VillyVal]

Guess what, Mr Easily Conned. It has been and remains un-PC to say. Prejudice is grounded in ignorance and ignorance encourages self-aggrandizement at the expense of the "other."

[viewfromiowa]

If the "other" is racist and zenophobic then it is hardly prejudice to say so!

[BlueAsh]

Call it as it is--that's honesty! Good for you, Mr. Collis!

This is not just about Billary's collective heritage -- Arkansas ranks among the lowest in education attainment. (See Census Bureau stats: "Percent of the Total Population 25 Years and Over with a High School Diploma or Higher by Sex, for the United States, Regions, and States: 1940 to 2000")

http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/education/introphct41.html

The Clintons have spent their entire careers among the less educated. They have learned how to talk to the hillbillies, and they know how to exploit these people and still get their votes. They are very much like George Bush in their rhetoric and appeal to the uneducated.

In my view, it is a lot easier to explain the hillbillies' votes for Hillary than those more educated.

[VillyVal]

Yeah, hanging around with all those Rhodes scholars can really dampen the IQ.

If "you people" would take just a minute to fill in another race or ethnic minority into the slot you're using for "hillbillies," I would hope your "college educated" brain cells might survive the shock of recognition.

[EdCoughlin]

He was probably talking about running for office and governing in Arkansas. If you can find a large number of Rhodes Scholars in Hope Arkansas (and the rest of Arkansas for that matter) you deserve a congressional medal for accomplishment. There's a lot more Mike Huckabee and his cooking small game in popcorn poppers then there is heavy scholastic achievement.

[tomjuarez]

Nice try villy,

What? Are we not allowed to criticize the uneducated anymore? In order to flip the racism card you'd have to be saying that the only distinguishing characteristic that the "Hillbillies" have from the general populace (or more specifically in this instance the democratic voting populace) is their race. Are they a minority? Yes -but not a racial or ethnic one -A CULTURAL ONE. Culture can be either good or bad -i.e. the Mafia are a cultural minority too.

Doesn't fly. I think you know that though. Hillary's taught you well -seek any excuse to play the victim.

[gigi09]

Let's replcae hillbillies with "you bigots !" Does that shock your brain cells into recognition? "You people" are stuck in stupid! Obama 08!

[SamWainwright]

Weeelll Doggies! I knew there was a reason Uncle Jed threw that Hog Jowl BarBQ /Hillary Clinton Fundraiser out by the cement pond last fall. Turns out Hillary is just folks - she puts her overalls on one leg at a time like the rest of us in Hooterville.