America's poorest county is also one of the most Republican ones

[Lloyd Bentsen's Ghost]

http://photoblog.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/04/23/11355138-appalachia-struggles-to-overcome-poverty?lite

These are some really sad pictures. And the juxtaposition of the evening dresses and tuxedos against the grim, almost Dickensian backdrop makes them even more dramatic. 41.5% living in poverty - it's almost as if the twentieth and twenty-first centuries passed these people by and left none of their growth or prosperity behind.

They're also a very Republican bunch:

2008: McCain 76% / Obama 23%
2004: Bush 78% / Kerry 22%
2000: Bush 80% / Gore 19%
1996: Dole 53% / Clinton 37% / Perot 9%
1992: Bush 61% / Clinton 29% / Perot 9%
1988: Bush 79% / Dukakis 21%
1984: Reagan 79% / Mondale 20%
1980: Reagan 74% / Carter 26%
1976: Ford 77% / Carter 22%
1972: Nixon 84% / McGovern 16%
1968: Nixon 76% / Humphrey 16% / Wallace 8%
1964: Goldwater 67% / Johnson 33%
1960: Nixon 86% / Kennedy 14%

As far as I can tell, they have voted Republican in every election since the Civil War.

[traininthedistance]

I think I would have expected the nation's poorest county to be Shannon in South Dakota.

[Vasall des Midas]

I think I would have expected the nation's poorest county to be Shannon in South Dakota.

Quite. It usually is.

[Stranger in a strange land]

Unionist Stronghold, not that uncommon in Appalachia. It made sense for them to vote Republican in the late 19th century. Why they still vote that way is the real question.

What's funny is that Romney will almost certainly win the county with over 75% of the vote, despite his recent comments.

[Hatman]

One of the reasons it's so Republican:

However, the community of 5,000 struggles with unemployment because of the decline in coal, tobacco and timber industries. Health issues include drug addiction without effective treatment.

Which party hates these industries more? (and rightfulyl so, I might add)

[Sibboleth]

No, that won't be a reason at all.

[Sibboleth]

Anyways, the correct answer to the question is: why don't you ask them?

[traininthedistance]

I would assume the main reason they're so Republican now is God, guns, and gays.  Pretty simple, actually.

[Stranger in a strange land]

I would assume the main reason they're so Republican now is God, guns, and gays.  Pretty simple, actually.

yet there are other wretchedly poor counties in Appalachia, which are culturally similar in most respects, that still vote Democratic, or at least did until very recently.

[Link]

One of the reasons it's so Republican:

However, the community of 5,000 struggles with unemployment because of the decline in coal, tobacco and timber industries. Health issues include drug addiction without effective treatment.

Which party hates these industries more? (and rightfulyl so, I might add)

Which party actually wants to treat drug addicts like patients instead of criminals and provide treatment instead of incarceration?

[Hashemite]

One of the reasons it's so Republican:

However, the community of 5,000 struggles with unemployment because of the decline in coal, tobacco and timber industries. Health issues include drug addiction without effective treatment.

Which party hates these industries more? (and rightfulyl so, I might add)

Why do plenty of coal and timber counties still vote Democratic then?

[Platypus]

Because their daddy did.

Same reason these people vote Republican.

[memphis]

One of the reasons it's so Republican:

However, the community of 5,000 struggles with unemployment because of the decline in coal, tobacco and timber industries. Health issues include drug addiction without effective treatment.

Which party hates these industries more? (and rightfulyl so, I might add)

Why do plenty of coal and timber counties still vote Democratic then?

Not too many in presidential elections. I'm expecting Obama to lose every county in WV in November. Coal has had a terrible four years. Has more to do with the natural gas boom than anything else, but there's a perception that Obama's EPA is to blame.

[Sibboleth]

Because their daddy did.

Same reason these people vote Republican.

Of course. But then that's the case for most people in most places, to an extent.

[Hatman]

One of the reasons it's so Republican:

However, the community of 5,000 struggles with unemployment because of the decline in coal, tobacco and timber industries. Health issues include drug addiction without effective treatment.

Which party hates these industries more? (and rightfulyl so, I might add)

Which party actually wants to treat drug addicts like patients instead of criminals and provide treatment instead of incarceration?

Tell that to them. But, I reckon that while there is a huge addiction issue there, it is hugely stigmatized, thus making the problem worse.

[Platypus]

Because their daddy did.

Same reason these people vote Republican.

Of course. But then that's the case for most people in most places, to an extent.

Unequivocally yes.

[Vosem]

One of the reasons it's so Republican:

However, the community of 5,000 struggles with unemployment because of the decline in coal, tobacco and timber industries. Health issues include drug addiction without effective treatment.

Which party hates these industries more? (and rightfulyl so, I might add)

Which party actually wants to treat drug addicts like patients instead of criminals and provide treatment instead of incarceration?

The Libertarian Party. Certainly neither of the two major parties.

[TJ in Wisco]

One of the reasons it's so Republican:

However, the community of 5,000 struggles with unemployment because of the decline in coal, tobacco and timber industries. Health issues include drug addiction without effective treatment.

Which party hates these industries more? (and rightfulyl so, I might add)

Which party actually wants to treat drug addicts like patients instead of criminals and provide treatment instead of incarceration?

The Libertarian Party. Certainly neither of the two major parties.

The Libertarian Party wants to provide treatment? I was always under the assumption they just wanted to legalize everything and live and let live. After all treatment would be a government service.

[後援会]

One of the reasons it's so Republican:

However, the community of 5,000 struggles with unemployment because of the decline in coal, tobacco and timber industries. Health issues include drug addiction without effective treatment.

Which party hates these industries more? (and rightfulyl so, I might add)

Which party actually wants to treat drug addicts like patients instead of criminals and provide treatment instead of incarceration?

As shown by the entire history of drug laws in the United States, nobody.

[Senator Snowstalker]

They've always been Republican. This isn't because of social issues or whatever, but because they were anti-secession in the Civil War, and like Eastern Tennessee, have always voted GOP.

[Vasall des Midas]

They've always been Republican. This isn't because of social issues or whatever, but because they were anti-secession in the Civil War, and like Eastern Tennessee, have always voted GOP.

And because it's not a coal county. Those went over to the Democrats during the New Deal.

[Oldiesfreak1854]

Unionist Stronghold, not that uncommon in Appalachia. It made sense for them to vote Republican in the late 19th century. Why they still vote that way is the real question. What's funny is that Romney will almost certainly win the county with over 75% of the vote, despite his recent comments.

Most of the Unionist strongholds don't seem to vote Republican at all anymore, which makes me sad.  I'm a Republican largely because of that Unionist loyalty, although I don't really come from a Republican family.

[Torie]

Why didn't Jackson County get the honors? It was touted as the poorest yet most pro Nixon county in the United States in 1960. That is why I visited it in college. And yes, it was a visit to Deliverance. I went back 5 years ago. The fast food franchise culture had killed off Deliverance. It no longer was a very good movie set.

This area didn't go Dem during the Depression, because the Depression did not affect the economy much there. There was no market economy there. It was subsistence farming and moon shining. The Depression did not change that.

[So the Heroes Fall]

Interestingly, Jackson County did vote for Teddy Roosevelt in 1912, and with over 50% too. But if the economy is like that it's tough to pin down why he'd have special appeal over Taft (it was the only Roosevelt county in that area too, all the surrounding ones on the south and sides went Taft except one very narrowly for Wilson, and all the northern ones for Wilson.)

[Vasall des Midas]

Interestingly, Jackson County did vote for Teddy Roosevelt in 1912, and with over 50% too. But if the economy is like that it's tough to pin down why he'd have special appeal over Taft (it was the only Roosevelt county in that area too, all the surrounding ones on the south and sides went Taft except one very narrowly for Wilson, and all the northern ones for Wilson.)

Some kind of personal connection most likely - a local Republican bigwig coming down in Roosevelt's support.