A Blue State’s Road to Red (West Virginia)

[theHandpuppet]

2. I would agree that's a contributing factor

There is little to be had in terms of what I would call "blue" media sources though newspapers like the Charleston Gazette and radio stations such as WV public broadcasting do their part. Honestly, there are a lot of places in the mountains you can't even get radio reception.

TV, for the most part, does its worst to portray Appalachian people in a negative light, even if they have to create fake hillbillies for their shows. It's a total lack of respect.

One other factor I think plays a part in many Appalachian voters feeling disenfranchised is that the only time our candidates for national office notice we're alive is during the presidential elections and even then they don't bother to stop. How many years has Prez Obama been in office now? He's made how many visits to countries many Americans couldn't find on a globe compared to how many to Appalachia? I know what kind of messages that sends.