Kentucky food stamp recipient would prefer a "Pakistani" president to Obama

[Indy Texas]

One area Barack Obama has indisputably created jobs in is the burgeoning cottage industry of reporters writing articles about poor Appalachians venting their hatred for the president as they walk out of their dilapidated trailer homes to trek to the convenience store to buy Wonderbread and Twinkies with their EBT cards.

With imagery like this, it's almost like you're deep in the holler yourself...

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And the metaphors, oh, the metaphors...

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Even the local Republicans seem to take a more defeatist attitude to their national counterparts' desire to pare back the welfare state.

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So why do they hate Obama so much?

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[Blue3]

http://news.yahoo.com/poor-kentucky-no-stomach-obama-153854246.html


Some key excerpts:

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It is so hard for me to understand this kind of mindset.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Actually the two poorest counties in the US like Obama.

Buffalo and Shannon, SD.

[Illuminati Blood Drinker]

This is why socialism is and has been dead in America for a long long time. Whatever support from poor blacks you'll get, poor whites will always vote against you if you don't promise to lynch black people and crucify gays.

[The Free North]

Very sad to continue to hear about the problems in appalachia.


Coal is dying, and its not Obama's fault. This is the 21st century and relying on a 19th century resource simply is not a viable way to run a regional economy. These regions need a major economic overhaul, or else this loop is going to be endless.

[7,052,770]

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I just don't know what to say...

[MurrayBannerman]

Very sad to continue to hear about the problems in appalachia.


Coal is dying, and its not Obama's fault. This is the 21st century and relying on a 19th century resource simply is not a viable way to run a regional economy. These regions need a major economic overhaul, or else this loop is going to be endless.

This is what happens when the welfare programs are set up to continually trap people in towns that lose their economic viability. I see it in Appalachia and I see it in nearby Gary.

[The Free North]

Very sad to continue to hear about the problems in appalachia.


Coal is dying, and its not Obama's fault. This is the 21st century and relying on a 19th century resource simply is not a viable way to run a regional economy. These regions need a major economic overhaul, or else this loop is going to be endless.

This is what happens when the welfare programs are set up to continually trap people in towns that lose their economic viability. I see it in Appalachia and I see it in nearby Gary.

I certainly think increase mobility on all levels is beneficial. Whether thats welfares fault is debatable, but the fact of the matter is the appalachian region simply cannot viably support the current population that lives there. The 'they should just move' solution is not easy for most people and communities but government policy should certain encourage flexibility however it can.

[badgate]

President Obama should give a speech here.

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

ITT: blatant classism

[TheDeadFlagBlues]

Classism or no classism, it's certainly surreal.

[King]

Clearly the problem here is none of this people have to TVs to be drawn into Obama's telegenic charms.

[Matty]

So one man embodies the GOP? The pathetic state of Appalachia is certainly ironic though, as President LBJ sold his great society initiatives by focusing on this region. Look where it has gotten them. In a normal world, the region would be abandoned, but something (hmmm, wonder what that might be) is keeping these people here, disincentivizing them from moving on to a better life elsewhere.

The fact of the matter is that the GOP base is poor, middle class, and rich whites. The constant attempts by the red devils on this site to cast the GOP as the party of poor whites from sparsely populated states is downright pathetic and childish.

[longtimelurker]

But much of Appalachia has been GOP since the Civil War...at times, westernmost NC and easternmost TN were the most Republican parts of the country...

So one man embodies the GOP? The pathetic state of Appalachia is certainly ironic though, as President LBJ sold his great society initiatives by focusing on this region. Look where it has gotten them. In a normal world, the region would be abandoned, but something (hmmm, wonder what that might be) is keeping these people here, disincentivizing them from moving on to a better life elsewhere.

The fact of the matter is that the GOP base is poor, middle class, and rich whites. The constant attempts by the red devils on this site to cast the GOP as the party of poor whites from sparsely populated states is downright pathetic and childish.

[dead0man]

A dummy on food stamps?  SHOCKING!

[AggregateDemand]

Coal is dying, and its not Obama's fault. This is the 21st century and relying on a 19th century resource simply is not a viable way to run a regional economy. These regions need a major economic overhaul, or else this loop is going to be endless.

Coal is easier to export than natural gas. Do you really think the EPA crackdown on coal is an accident? Unfortunately for Appalachia, they are not competitive with Wyoming for exports to Asia, and Wyoming is now the coal capital of the US.

I'm not saying I disagree with Obama's energy policy, but we can't pretend its not his.

[Meursault]

Because I live among them - because I am of them - I can say of the white trash lumpenproletariat what would get a latte-liberal strung up as a classist: they are worthless, of objectively less value than the cultural elites they rail against in their inverted class consciousness, and I scorn the Party which appeals to them.

[Clarko95 📚💰📈]

ITT: blatant classism

Sometimes, people will fit the stereotype. The OP's not "classist" for talking about it.


Rich people can be sh*tty. Middle class people can be sh*tty. Poor people can be sh*tty. If someone is a horrible person, they're not going to get a pass for their income, race, gender, etc. They should be called out for their racism and homophobia.

[IceSpear]

This is why socialism is and has been dead in America for a long long time. Whatever support from poor blacks you'll get, poor whites will always vote against you if you don't promise to lynch black people and crucify gays.

Yup. Many on Atlas seem to think if Democrats just framed their message better and went further left on economics and further right socially, these types of people would vote for them in droves. Not. gonna. happen.

[Meursault]

Poverty does not ennoble. This idea on both the 'workerist' Left and the 'producerist' Right that the socially reactionary views of the much-mythologized White Working Class ought to be privileged or respected is absurd.

I know, because I know them. I come from a long line of tornado-bait white trash. I've never been to university, and likely never will. But I will not hide behind my status as an excuse for backwardsness, and I hate those who do.

[Lief 🗽]

Obama's done more good for these people through the ACA than any president since LBJ.

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

This is why socialism is and has been dead in America for a long long time. Whatever support from poor blacks you'll get, poor whites will always vote against you if you don't promise to lynch black people and crucify gays.

Yup. Many on Atlas seem to think if Democrats just framed their message better and went further left on economics and further right socially, these types of people would vote for them in droves. Not. gonna. happen.

If that were the case, the South wouldn't be trending so hard right because most of the Democrats who run there, locally and statewide, fit that mold.  Now in fairness, I suppose an argument can be made for the national Democratic Party's image in these states, but one would assume even the most socially conservative Southerner would vote Democrat on a routine basis if he agreed with their economic policies.  Most people don't vote on issues that are .000005% of the legislation that politicians deal with.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

Does the guy in this story seriously believe the Republicans were "raised up like we have"? Who believes this nonsense?

[Lief 🗽]

Does the guy in this story seriously believe the Republicans were "raised up like we have"? Who believes this nonsense?

The people in these blue counties, unfortunately.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

Does the guy in this story seriously believe the Republicans were "raised up like we have"? Who believes this nonsense?

The people in these blue counties, unfortunately.

I live in Campbell County, one of the many blue counties on that map. NOBODY in Campbell County who is THAT poor believes it. I don't think I even know any poor Republicans.