On Sun, 29 Nov 2009, SA wrote:
>> But back to the original point: I don't think it's hard to explain why
>> poor rural folk vote for an anti-poor party if they are against big
>> government on principle.
>
> Well, yeah. But poor rural folk being against big government in
> principle would also be something crying out for explanation.
Well for this area, as I said, try _Albion's Seed_, part 4.
Other places have different explanations (and not all poor rural folk are like this). But it's not at all uncommon. People who are far from civilization tend to like it that way.
>> True, but this might have something to do the fact that when Carter was
>> first running he was considered the first evangelical for President.
>
> I doubt it made much difference. Dukakis won Harlan county in 1988 with
> almost 60% of the vote!
Fair enough. But as you say, Harlan is a bit of an exception thanks to the mineworkers union. Mineworkers probably had a radicalizing effect in several counties back then and no longer do.
Michael