On Sat, 28 Nov 2009, SA wrote:
>>> So, the NYT has a big story about the rise in food stamp use in the
>>> recession. It focuses on localities where food stamp use is particularly
>>> high, and mentions Owsley County, Kentucky, where half of the 4600
>>> residents receive food stamps. I decided to find out how Owsley County
>>> voted in the last election...
> Whatever it is, it cries out for some sort of explanation. The US
> Republican Party is so openly anti-poor - even if those counties split
> the vote 50-50 it would still cry out for explanation how the
> Republicans could get 50% of people in those places to vote for them.
> That they can get 80% is mind-boggling.
Is it really? Hasn't the (always very poor) hill country voted heavily for the anti-poor party ever since the welfare state began? They're against central government. And Big Government party is always, by definition, the poor people party.
Have you ever read David Hackett Fischer's book _Albion's Seed: Four British Folkways in America_? In part four he argues these people were against central government literally since before they came to this country, since back when they were "borderers." It's a fascinating and fun argument and boasts a lot more data than such cultural histories usually do.
Michael