dagblog - Comments for "what's the matter with the white-trash hillbillies of Appalachia?"

rmrd, there's a certain age

Oxy Mora — Sat, 13 Aug 2016 17:05:54 +0000

In reply to The anti-government sentiment

rmrd, there's a certain age group of whites who will never give up their racist inclinations. But I do believe that when major projects come into an area they by necessity will bring in younger and more broad minded people and change will come.

Thanks for mentioning the Vance book, he's from Butler County, Ohio, where I grew up, which is, I suspect, now a hot bed of Trump supporters. In any case, the key to understanding the Trump voter, I think, is in the word "disillusioned", and a key illusion fell with the election of a black President. Trump's stuff might be the last illusion and I agree with those who are worried about what happens when the last firewall is breached.

Was supposed to be attached

rmrd0000 — Sat, 13 Aug 2016 16:57:02 +0000

In reply to Ummm... talking to me?

Was supposed to be attached to my original comment in the thread.

Right on, Peracles...

Oxy Mora — Sat, 13 Aug 2016 16:35:38 +0000

In reply to Hillary on Appalachia and

Right on, Peracles...

You know, honestly, there's a part of me which likes this policy kind of language, it all makes such good sense, and then there's the part of me which is still in Butler County Ohio which says this is so much bs, heard it all before, too many "they's", no double negatives, and a woeful lack of iambic pentameter

"pick up the waffle plate and choc'late milk"

But yes, localized infrastructure which includes solutions for housing can be done if we can elect the woman and force a little infrastructure spending in Congress.

Ummm... talking to me?

PeraclesPlease — Sat, 13 Aug 2016 16:22:01 +0000

In reply to Homophobic voting patterns in

Ummm... talking to me?

Homophobic voting patterns in

rmrd0000 — Sat, 13 Aug 2016 16:09:30 +0000

In reply to But wait - Obama was running

Homophobic voting patterns in the black community had/have to be dealt with in the black community. Voting patterns where white citizens vote against their own interests have to be dealt with by white communities. Kansas votes in only Republicans despite economic disaster. Only voices within the state can change things. I don't think that Democratic outreach alone will alter the mindset.

But wait - Obama was running

PeraclesPlease — Sat, 13 Aug 2016 13:17:43 +0000

In reply to The anti-government sentiment

But wait - Obama was running for Senator in 2004 - that's almost a position of power in itself. If his 2002 corner speech projected him into the presidency, maybe something he said in early 2004 had ripple effects on reality like a targeted drone attack halfway across the world. Maybe he really killed Osama bin Laden with his Mind. Look for the Big O in Matrix IV - The Reverberator.

The anti-government sentiment

rmrd0000 — Sat, 13 Aug 2016 12:55:19 +0000

In reply to Excellent tack, acanuck,

The anti-government sentiment coupled with a distrust of outsiders makes it easy for myths to propagate in some mostly Conservative areas. For example in North Carolina, 40% of Republicans believes that ACORN, a non-existent group will rig the election for Hillary. Almost 70% believe that if Trump loses, it will be because ACORN rigged the election. 48% believe that Obama and Hillary were responsible for the 2004 death of Captain Khan. Obama was not President in 2004, but the myth is prevalent. 41% believe that Hillary is the devil.Entrenched beliefs are hard to overcome. It is likely that the only true transformation that can occur will have to from inside local communities nothing "outsiders" do will make a difference. Even if government projects help a region, people's beliefs remain hard wired.

http://thedailybanter.com/2016/08/40-percent-of-trump-supporters-think-n...

Hillary on Appalachia and

PeraclesPlease — Sat, 13 Aug 2016 04:49:29 +0000

In reply to Excellent tack, acanuck,

Hillary on Appalachia and other left-behind areas:

----

Look, we have serious economic problems in many parts of our country. And Roland is absolutely right. Instead of dividing people the way Donald Trump does, let's reunite around policies that will bring jobs and opportunities to all these underserved poor communities.

So for example, I'm the only candidate which has a policy about how to bring economic opportunity using clean renewable energy as the key into coal country. Because we're going to put a lot of coal miners and coal companies out of business, right?

And we're going to make it clear that we don't want to forget those people. Those people labored in those mines for generations, losing their health, often losing their lives to turn on our lights and power our factories.

Now we've got to move away from coal and all the other fossil fuels, but I don't want to move away from the people who did the best they could to produce the energy that we relied on.

So whether it's coal country or Indian country or poor urban areas, there is a lot of poverty in America. We have gone backwards. We were moving in the right direction. In the '90s, more people were lifted out of poverty than any time in recent history.

Because of the terrible economic policies of the Bush administration, President Obama was left with the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, and people fell back into poverty because they lost jobs, they lost homes, they lost opportunities, and hope.

So I am passionate about this, which is why I have put forward specific plans about how we incentivize more jobs, more investment in poor communities, and put people to work.

Excellent tack, acanuck,

Oxy Mora — Fri, 12 Aug 2016 19:34:13 +0000

In reply to what's the matter with the white-trash hillbillies of Appalachia?

Excellent tack, acanuck, because as you rightly point out, the worst possible outcome to an election where Hillary wins is that regions like Appalachia are ignored. My DNA is Scots Irish---which is virtually synonymous with "Appalachian roots", which long before my landing here had taken the Southern route to this poor Texas county I now call home.

The conundrum of politics in Appalachia is that "government" was never liked, the culture consisting of a clan structure and within that, manliness, courage and self reliance. The fact that the R's have denigrated government itself has worked extremely well. A double whammy, and entrapment of their own choosing, on the notion that government can deliver anything of value.There can be exceptions but the impetus to bringing these areas back must be local, not a national program---a least not one which is recognized as such.

For example, in my rural Texas county a large reservoir will be built and there will be development around it. The whole project cuts both ways because we locals see land values and taxes increasing and we know the water will mostly go to support the burgeoning N Dallas metropolitan area. Nevertheless, with good local planning the project can be beneficial to folks here.

Just saying, one size fits all National Programs are not necessarily going to benefit my neighbors here nor my kin in Beattyville, Kentucky.

Fascinating analysis, Michael

acanuck — Tue, 09 Aug 2016 19:23:08 +0000

In reply to So I wrote a very long essay

Fascinating analysis, Michael. Especially the last two paragraphs. But I can't see the Republicans becoming the voice of the downtrodden in my lifetime; it's not in their DNA, and with his Latino-bashing Trump has dashed, perhaps forever, any dreams of pivoting to a more inclusive party. He sparked a fleeting uptick in enthusiasm, but he has left the GOP even more disunited, with a shrunken base of old, angry, straight, white, gun-loving males (plus a smattering of evangelicals) to build on. That doesn't constitute a class; it's a post-election footnote.

Meanwhile the Democrats, again with Trump's help, have solidified their working-class base: blacks, Latinos, women, immigrants, gays -- all without conceding the white-male vote. Democrats have the luxury of being able to rebrand themselves (I hope as a truly progressive party), while Republicans will be forced to reinvent themselves totally even to survive. You had me worried for a bit, though.