What is it about Kentucky and West Virginia?

This post from Obsidian Wings raises some good points about the primary results from Kentucky last night.

The most salient graphs are:

"One thing to keep in mind is that many of Kentucky’s “Democrats” are Republicans for all practical purposes. Interestingly, registered Democrats still far outnumber Republicans 57%-36% (that's as of 2006, though Republicans are gaining). But despite the party registration totals, Bush won the state handily 60%-40%."

and

"Ideologically, many of these people are simply Republicans — but they still got to vote today. Sure, they sometimes vote for a Democrat on the state or local level (just like Massachusetts elects Republican governors). But they consider themselves conservative — and no Democratic candidate who could win the median Democratic voter nationally would be acceptable."

You'll find demographic and cultural, social parallels in West Virginia. Kentucky and West Virginia are what you get when you blend Southern states without any meaningful ethnic diversity with endemic poverty and ignorance.

This video raises some interesting questions about the motives of some voters in West Virginia.

George Packer's "Interesting Times" contribution to The New Yorker in April raises similar issues about Kentucky.

Finally, here's an overview of Obama's "Appalachian Problem".

Exit polling in Kentucky indicates that "race" was a factor among 20% of Kentucky Democratic primary voters. The number was 25% for Dem primary voters in West Virginia.

There is much to loathe about Hillary Clinton's efforts to overturn the will of the majority of Democrats who have voted in these primary races. However, the tacit racism of arguing that there's no way poor, white Americans would lower themselves to vote for a black man for president is the most repulsive ploy yet attempted. It may well prove that Barack Obama can't be elected president because he's black, but for Clinton to argue that she's more electable 'cause she's white is not an argument a Democrat should make...ever. Hell, it's not an argument any American should make...ever.

Here's something else, courtesy of Andrew Sullivan.