The Rude Pundit - Toothless Hicks Agree: We Love Obamacare, Wish a White Man Had Signed It

[theHandpuppet]

89. What seems to be most prevalent is a basic distrust of government

I can understand why; the people feel as if their government has abandoned them. But that's been true for a very long time and didn't just suddenly crop up when Obama was elected. There was a real effort during the time of LBJ and Robert Kennedy to address the problems of poverty, unemployment, etc in Appalachia but that campaign pretty much dropped off the map when Nixon was elected. Bill Clinton was extremely popular in the region but I suspect a lot of that was due to the fact that he reminded many of the Kennedys. Are there some who resent Obama because they harbor racist views? Yes, that's undeniable. But I've also heard grumblings that they feel Obama is an elitist and comes off as indifferent. I don't think the President has really helped dispel those feelings because he's been virtually invisible to the people of Appalachia and that was true even when he was campaigning. Speaking only for myself, I felt as if he just wrote us off before the race even began and hasn't shown much interest since.

I certainly can't speak for the poor as if they are some kind of hive mind, nor for the poor black population for the same reason. I do know that with regards to voter registration, I've found black voters more receptive and much more likely to engage in an exchange of ideas. I suspect they comprise the last, fully loyal democratic base in Appalachia. Even some of the local miners' unions are turning away from the Democratic Party, which I find really disheartening. But that's another discussion for another day and I'm already late for some appointments.