[ZoeZoeBee]

Perhaps you get confused about the long history of Appalachian Coal Miners voting solidly Democratic, 100 years of such, only to see their votes taken for granted and their livelihood disappear.

West Virginia, despite being as far from Cosmopolitan as you can get has been a Democratic stronghold until the last election cycle

[thebooktocome]

100 years ago, the Dems were still the party of southern pride. I think the shift is about more than "economic anxiety"

Also, West Virginia isn't all of Appalachia. SE Ohio, rural Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Tennessee, and North Carolina are coal producing regions that are also very conservative.

[ZoeZoeBee]

Except that has nothing to do with why they voted as they did going back to before the 20th century as rural America has never been about today's Democratic ideals. The Miners and their Unions have been supportive of Democrats since before FDR.

Edit could the downvoter parked here show their face, literally five seconds after posting and you're downvoting have to assume you've gone down the thread downvoting everything, so just say hi

[ceejayoz]

The coal industry employs fewer people than Arby's.

Their votes are "taken for granted" because they're a tiny constituency, and their livelihood was always going to disappear. Mines have become progressively more automated (like everything else) and between natural gas and renewable energy options, it's simply no longer the economic home run it used to be.

[ZoeZoeBee]

Yep at the moment they do, and they will continue to, but that has nothing to do with the fact that historically those in the industry voted Democratic not Republican.

The lack of reality among some around here does amaze me

[CalChris]

And historically those miners had jobs. However the loss of their jobs had nothing to do with sanctuary cities, abortion, second amendment rights or any other wedge issue but their party switch did.

[ZoeZoeBee]

However you do realize that sanctuary cities, abortion, second amendment rights or any other wedge issue those in Appalachia did not stand with the Democratic party on and voted for their own interests when it came to employment

edit @CalChris Because your reading comprehension is not the best. They voted for their own economic interests by voting Democratic. You do realize in 2008 both of WVs Senators were Dems and so was their governor. Since the Depression the vast majority of West Virginia's Senate seats have been filled by Dems

[CalChris]

Perhaps you can explain how WV voted for their own interests when it came to employment. Their unemployment rate rose dramatically with W's 2008 Great Recession and then steadily fell during the Obama years.

https://data.bls.gov/generated_files/graphics/latest_numbers...

Looks more like Cheeto took them for a ride. He does that. Is WV voting its interest in the opioid crisis? I don't think more guns, gays and god will get them out of it.

[catawbasam]

Dem here, but I haven't seen a whole lot of priority given by my party to opioids. Back pre-Trump there was much more attention being given to Transgender kids and sexual assault of college women.

When people are despised and neglected, they tend to notice.

[masonic]

Did you read your own chart? The "Obama years" 1/09-1/17) began at just over 5%, then went UP over 60% from there, to 8.6% or so.

In fact, it was worse during the "Obama years" than before or after. "Steadily fell during the Obama years" is a flat lie.

[ceejayoz]

> voted for their own interests when it came to employment

And they'll find themselves with no long-term improvement in employment, and a dramatically weaker safety net as a bonus.

[ceejayoz]

Sure it does. People always look for someone to blame for something like this, and the Republicans capitalized on that fact with the "war on coal" narrative. Not shocking it worked.

[ZoeZoeBee]

>I'd try to consider it from their perspective, but I get confused by the part where they vote overwhelmingly Republican to protect their union jobs and government subsidies.

Ok, read the parent. Appalachian Miners do not vote overwhelmingly Republican to protect their union jobs and government subsidies. For the longest time they voted Democratic to Protect their Union Jobs and Government subsides until their jobs were no longer there.

Their jobs aren't coming back, that's a given, and the reaction to that was to stop voting for the people they thought would protect their way of living, only to see a shift over the last decade where their voice was completely drowned out in the Democratic party

[Feniks]

Its typical human hypocrisy and stupidity.

Capitalism is great, government is evil blah blah. But everyone loves those subsidised government programs.