My theory on why the poor voters in Eastern Kentucky vote Republican?

[kentuck]

It goes back to the War of 1812. Andrew Jackson wanted volunteers to fight the British down in New Orleans. Many Kentuckians, some without arms, answered his call for help.

Many Kentuckians died in the War of 1812. Sixty-four percent of all casualties in that war were from Kentucky. That did not sit well with the people in the mountains of Kentucky. They blamed Andrew Jackson. And to this day, although they should be naturally inclined to the Democratic Party, the majority of the people vote Republican.

Just my theory on why the people of Kentucky vote against their own self interests.

[Wounded Bear]

1. Interesting perspective. Hadn't heard that one...

I do know that Eastern Kentucky was actually a Union stronghold during the Civil War, perhaps because the split then was Repub North and Dem South?

Currently, I think I'd blame religion and gun culture as much as anything else leading them to the repub cause. That and their aversion to "big gubmint" parroted by all the RW talking heads.

[Jerry2144]

5. And add

And add to the list Fux "News", Limpbough, and all the rich-wing radio programs that pollute the AM radio waves In much the same way a dog turd pollutes a punch bowl

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

2. If you're right, it's really sad that more than 200 years hasn't been long enough

for their descendants to learn enough about things to vote differently. That essentially they haven't learned a thing in over 200 years.

[SWBTATTReg]

3. Wow. And if true, when will they ever let go of such grudges? Over 200+ years old...and

yet still simmering.

[irisblue]

6. Take a look at Ireland, look at the Middle East, generations and hundreds of years

[SWBTATTReg]

7. I'm not talking overseas, etc. Grudges there have gone on for generations and we all know that

already. In America, it's a different story and you really don't see these types of long lasting grudges. That was my point.

[rampartc]

13. hatfields vs mccoys

generational feuds are traditional in this part of appalachia.

[kentuck]

14. A lot of Scotch-Irish descendants...

...may have something to do with that?

[SWBTATTReg]

15. And the latest documentary on this feud shows that the two families have reconciled too.

[CanonRay]

4. Interesting, but I think it has more to do with fundamentalist churches.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

8. They vote Republican because they like what they hear from them. That's it.

[SharonClark]

25. Makes sense to me.

[TheRealNorth]

9. Eastern Kentucky, Eastern Tennessee, and W Va have always been resentful of the 'ruling elite'

In the 1860's, the ruling elite to them was the slave-holding plantation owners that ran their state governments. That was why these areas were the primary unionist areas within the south.

[kentuck]

12. John Prine had a song about his Grandpa...

He said he voted for Eisenhower 'cause Lincoln won the war.

[LizBeth]

10. Bigotry

[snort]

11. Here's mine:

They're stupid.

[Maru Kitteh]

16. You left out the most pertinent word: WHITE. Nt

[The Magistrate]

17. I Suspect Not, Sir

Kentucky voted for Jackson in 1828 by a substantial margin over the incumbent John Quincy Adams. Granted in 1824 Kentucky voted for the home state candidate, Henry Clay over all other contenders including Jackson. But Jackson's 1828 campaign was scathing towards Clay, who had become closely identified with Adams. If there was any substantial antipathy towards Jackson from the 1812 war, one would expect to see it exercised within living memory.

Kentucky was a pretty solid Democratic state till Eisenhower's second run, which coincided with the beginning of modern civil rights agitation.

[kentuck]

21. Good points, Sir.

And good to see you again.

It is true also that the Great Depression turned a lot of people to FDR and the Democrats, also.

Poverty has been an issue in the mountains for centuries. The coal mines came in and offered a way to feed their families but we know how that story went.

You may be right about the role of civil rights? Perhaps that is why so many of them loved Donald Trump? A racist if there ever was one.

It was just a theory and open to change. I thought it interesting that so many Kentuckians died in the War of 1812.

[tenderfoot]

18. Didn't Trump have Jackson's portrait prominently displayed throughout his tenure?

Then why did they still support him?

[FakeNoose]

19. It's their churches and their anti-union coal mines

... and it's all fueled by the perpetual outrage machine at Faux Noise.

Interesting bit of history though. I wouldn't totally discount your theory.

[Ferrets are Cool]

20. Could it be they're just stupid?

Like the repuq voters in my state, Alabama?

[SoonerPride]

22. I think it is racism.

They are white and rural and see th democrats as black and urban.

Much of the grip of the Rs in the south is thanks to racism, plain and simple.

[SKKY]

23. I don't know. How would that explain the fact that, of the last....

...25 governors, only 6 have been Republican?

[kentuck]

24. The majority of voters in Kentucky are registered Democratic...

So the problem may be with the Democratic Party?

[padsfs]

26. Not only that

But in Eastern Ky, an even larger percentage of voters are democrats. Rocky Adkins could probably win a prominent election if he could get the Louisville base.

[gopiscrap]

28. welcome to DU

[maxsolomon]

27. They used to vote for Dems.

But 1967 happened.