[wwweston]

I'm reading the commentor you're responding to as commenting on general social trends in rural areas they're familiar with (or merely hearing about) rather than judgments on any specific individual.

It's certainly possible that they're mischaracterizing the social state of affairs in any number of places, but general rural economic decline does seem to be a frequent form of political handwringing (including complaints from some people ostensibly representing rural voters who claim they're left out when it comes to policy). I would definitely love to hear about specific areas or general statistics that prove the general narrative wrong, though.