Obama doesn't have a "white working class" problem

[woolldog]

He has an Appalachian problem, according to Josh Marshall:

"There's been a lot of talk in this campaign about Barack Obama's problem with working class white voters or rural voters. But these claims are both inaccurate because they are incomplete. You can look at states like Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania and other states and see the different numbers and they are all explained by one basic fact. Obama's problem isn't with white working class voters or rural voters. It's Appalachia. That explains why Obama had a difficult time in Ohio and Pennsylvania and why he's getting crushed in West Virginia and Kentucky.

If it were just a matter of rural voters or the white working class, the pattern would show up in other regions. But by and large it does not.

In so many words, Pennsylvania and Ohio have big chunks of Appalachia within their borders. But those regions are heavily offset by non-Appalachian sections that are cultural and demographically distinct. West Virginia is 100% Appalachian. If you look at southeastern Ohio or the middle chunk of Pennsylvania, Obama did about the same as he's doing tonight in West Virginia."

"During the 18th and 19th centuries, in the middle Atlantic and particularly in the Southern states, there was a long-standing cleavage between the coastal and 'piedmont' regions on the one hand and the upcountry areas to the west on the other. It's really the coastal lowlands and the Appalachian districts. On the other side of the Appalachian mountain range the pattern is flipped, with the Appalachians in the east and the lowlands in the west."

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/194870.php

[democracy1st]

1. great article thanks

[izzie]

2. I am with you on this. Look at Maine and Vt. Could any states be

more white? Look at all the Western states. It seem to be that line down that range of Mt. I think that is the same place that is still into Queen Elizabeth music also. That is number one not the Queen now. OK I am kidding on that last part.

[beezlebum]

3. my husband made this very observation yesterday. nt

[woolldog]

4. diary on kos talking about this, goes into more depth:

http://dhinmi.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/5/12/134251/930/338/514258

[dkf]

5. That is why Jim Webb makes much more sense as VP than Hillary Clinton.

Uniting the needs of disadvantaged whites and blacks would be powerful.

[Jawja]

6. In other words:

Hillbillies for Hillary.

:spank: :dunce:

[progressoid]

7. Wow, that map says it all.

Counties where Clinton won at least 65% of the vote in purple:
(WV & KY, in grey, not counted yet)

[Bread and Circus]

8. I've been saying that for a while. I meant to link the article from yesterday.

[woolldog]

9. k