One last Kentucky tidbit

No one was surprised by Hillary Clinton's absolute dominance in the hills, hollows and other rural stretches of Kentucky in the state's Democratic presidential primary Tuesday. But as she rolled up an overall victory margin of 35 percentage points over Barack Obama in the state, one local result stands out.

Magoffin County -- which according to the Lexington Herald-Leader has been identified by the Census Bureau as "the least diverse place in the nation" -- delivered Clinton her largest share of the vote among Kentucky's 120 counties.

She racked up 93% of the vote in Magoffin (named for a former governor and located in the state's eastern half). In raw votes, the totals were Clinton, 2,714; Obama, 146.

How homogenous is the county? According to the 2000 census, 99.29% of its population of 13,332 was white.

[UPDATE: For information on the primary result in the U.S. county with the largest concentration of black residents, go here.]

-- Don Frederick

Comments

[Tom in California]

Looks like Hillary's kind of place!

[Sharon]

Apropos of absolutely nothing, Magoffin County, KY is also where Hustler magazine's Larry Flynt hails from.

[jimmy]

yes, because the rights and opinions of people who are not diverse should not matter?

[Anthony King]

Who says racism doesn't exist in this country?

[EddienTexas]

Let the Republicans have the snake handlers and inbreeds and ignorance that goes with those so called uneducated WV and Kentucky voters.

Look at the way they live and look at the way they have voted locally. They cant govern themselves but America depends on their judgement to choose a candidate to lead all of us.

It is time to put these "Regan Democrats"(whatever that really means) into history with Jessica Lynch!!!!!!

[blarsen]

Hillary ought ot run for president of Kentucky.

[Keith]

93% - that's the same percentage by which blacks vote for Obama. So what is it that 90%+ voting preference says???

[Gordito Mojito]

...AND WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THE BLACK VOTE IS OBAMA GETTING. REVERSE RACISM IS STILL RACISM.

[Seth]

I love being from Kentucky. Aside from Louisville and Lexington, it's the last bastion of wilderness untouched by the PC radicals obsessed with diversity.

[A Voter]

I'm not sure I understand why Hillary is so proud of her KY & WV victories. Is it really a good thing that she is winning the votes of uneducated, poor, rural whites? I mean, I don't think I'd want to trumpet the fact that I'm the choice of people who tend to be less intelligent and more racist than the average person...

Or is it more telling that Obama is winning the "educated voters"? Wouldn't all of this mean that Hillary is winning the people who don't know any better but Obama is winning the people who think for themselves and try to make fact-based decisions?

I don't see Obama going out and being so proud about winning the overwhelming majority of black voters. Why is Hillary accepting such blatant racism in her victories?

[Jeremy]

Seems most people ignore the 90% or so of black voters that support obama. Black voters are ridiculed for not supporting a fellow african american, while white voters are labeled racist for voting for a white woman. However, the overall percentage of white voters voting against there race's candidate is much, much higher than the percentage of black voters against obama. Looks like race hasn't entered the race at all, at least not for the "racists".

[Saryn]

Snake handlers and inbreeds? Wow can you say stereotyping? Yeah a few parts of kentucky are cuntry and redneck, but the inbreed thing is all stereotyping, and a bit disrespectful.

[Wil]

@ jimmy

Nobody said they shouldn't count. It's just an interesting data point.

You can draw your own conclusions as to why a population of 99.29% white voters voted so much higher for Clinton than the rest of the counties. Perhaps non-whites don't live there for the same reason the votes were so far scewed toward Clinton. Who knows.

[Kalli]

Clinton won in California and New York, states as diverse as anyone can imagine. What is the motive behind this tidbits? Only racists voted for Clinton. Get Real!

Well Obama getting more than 95% of black votes what does it tell you? Blacks are racists just like the Whites implied in this tidbits.

[Once a Kentuckian]

Having spent 10 years in Kentucky, visiting this part of Kentucky is literally like traveling back in time. Nice people, to be sure, no different than the rest of us, but living with 1930s technology and infrastructure (not incuding the cel phones) and 19th century mindsets. Isolated and insular. Ignore the poor at your own peril.

[Randy Russell]

Actually, the most surprising thing from that county is that 146 people voted for Obama. Extrapolating from the figures given in the article, only 95 were
non-white, so 51 whites voted for Obama in that county. I'll bet most of them are keeping mum about it, too.

[KYT-Breds]

EddienTexas, you prove that even the ignorant are entitled to their opinions. Perhaps we should just the likes of you Texans vote in our President. After all, look at the genius we have in office now.

[captainbarky]

I've driven Eastern KY. I don't think the future of the country will be decided in these areas.

Wonder how Barack got the 146 he did get. Maybe some of the folks thought his name was Brock Alabama, a good ol' boy from down south aways, and they didn't want the wimmin folk to start feelin' uppity.

[TruthIsTreasonComplianceIsPatriotic]

It's no surprise that those hillbilly barrios are full of racist rednecks. Have you ever seen Deliverance?

And no the reverse racism thing just doesn't hold. Black people have voted for whiteys before. King Clinton I owes being elected to the black voters so you can't call them racist. Just because they would prefer to vote for Obama than Queen Clinton II does not mean they are racist and would refuse voting for whitey.

Seriously is anybody going to say with a straight face that Kentucky and West Virginia are not hillbilly, redneck, cesspools of racism, bigotry and ignorance? Come on!

[tiddle]

How meaningful is it, to look at one particular county in the whole state of KY, and draw any conclusion out of it???

LA Times should be ashamed of itself, for trying to find some news story, ANY news story, that isn't news-worthy at all. While I'm a committed HRC supporter, and would switch to McCain, should BHO win the nomination, I do not believe a report like this is going to serve anyone anything good or new.

[fred]

hilarious! obama cannot win without half the party!!!! you guys for obama are elitist and hypocritical. When black people vote 92 to 8 for obama they have that right, but when a white county does it they are ignorant red necks who can't govern themselves. that is the pot calling the kettle black.

new polls, clinton smashes mccain in swing states; obama gets smashed.

go ahead and lose with obama and you get 4 YEARS OF REPUBLICAN RULE! Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha.

[mimikoko]

Just what America needs - a bunch of people who cannot think or decide beyond their county!! America was not built on such narrow minded and uneducated people.
OPen up and join the rest of America in the 21st century. 99.9% - do these sleep together, eat together, and decide together? Do you people ever think by yoursleves or one decides and you all follow suit?

Just amazing.

[virginian]

You folks foget that more people go to NASCAR than all the other sports together, country music sells more than any other type of music, the white working class was leap frogged by the government in an attempt to help the poor black folks, it was virtually impossible in the 60's for a white person to get a wellfare check. These truths do go away because the media wants them to. History is not forgotten. The Democrats must face these points if they want any chance of winning in November. Just happens that Obama opens up these wounds.

[Balto]

I say KKKongratulations to the KKKlinton KKKampaign!

[Alfred Packer]

High levels of education does not equal ability to govern nor the ability to elect those able to govern all it gives you is the same skill set as a tape recorder.

The two presidents with the highest tested IQ:

Herbert Hoover and Richard Nixon

[Seth]

ignorant snake handlers and inbreeds? Sounds you're guilty of ignorant stereotyping yourself Eddientexas.

Just b/c people don't vote for Obama doesn't mean they're racist. That's a terrible argument. Kentucky voted for Clinton in the 92 and 96 elections.

By the way, I didn't vote for Obama (didn't vote for clinton either) b/c I know that Obama is really is left of Mao, not b/c you think I'm an inbred racist snake handler. Behind all the platitudes and fluff, he and Michelle do have plans for change in this country. It's called socialism. Someone should send him the bill. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121038123776782371.html

For those of you who've been unfortunate enough to drink his kool-aid, see Obama's Laundry List of Lies at:
http://www.audacityofhypocrisy.com/fashion-shows/

Don't drink the kool-aid!!

[LonghornMama]

More pathetic pandering by the media. And what do you say to all of those largely African American communities who went for Obama by 92%?

[Kalli]

A Voter: Remember she won California and New York, the cultural, financial, educational, fashion, center of this country! Why discount her victories there. I think she won most of the states that ivy league educational institutions are.

[Media Hack]

What's the point?
7% of the folks in Magoffin are misogynists. so what.

[Eric]

And who are these "educated" voters that favor Obama? Bloggers, yes, online geeks, yes, credit hounds, yes, subprime borrowers, yes, humvee drivers, yes, starbucks drinkers, yes. I think you'll find the "educated" of America basically have no common sense. They think green but dive humvees, are stupid enough to drink $5 lattes, and are ignorant enough to overextend themselves in debt. These folks are why our economy boomed and is now failing. Time to pay up "educated" Americans.

[Wally]

The comments to this fact is interesting.

Because they voted for a white woman they are racist. Are the people who voted for Obama sexist? He is winning with about the same numbers in the African-American community. So they must be racist and sexist using the same logic.

Because they live in a rural area they must be inbred, snake handlers and ingnorant (My guess is that Eddien Texas was at the San Fran dinner with Obama and doesn't understand why people cling to guns and religion)

[Blake]

"I don't think I'd want to trumpet the fact that I'm the choice of people who tend to be less intelligent "

Since when does uneducated = less intelligent?

What about areas of our country/planet where education is not available? Does that mean that they are all unintelligent? A voter is a voter is a voter. Black, white, hispanic, male & female of all education levels. If you are 18, your vote counts.

[Uncledaddy]

It is appropriate that Kentucky voters in this county vote their preference just like everyone else. That it shows how little they have grown with the rest of the country is apparent. This too is fine.
What we can take away from this is, no matter the outcome of the primary race, they will have to re-work their frame of mind. Because, we have entered a new age of thought in this nation and all those out of step will either have to step up or watch progress pass them by.

[Media Hack]

What's the point?
7% of the folks in Magoffin are misogynists. so what.

[jrl]

Could it be the illbred white folks are simply smart enough to vote for the best candidate?

[Joe]

All good comments but what about the 90% plus of black voters that vote for Obama? Are they as racist as those in Ky? Maybe they are just the enlightened ones.

[NotSuprised]

Gordito Mojito,
What you state has been repeated over and over again. Just because it keeps getting repeated doesn't make it so.
Truth is many in WV. and KY say that they will never vote for a black person. Very different from from the fact that Blacks have been voting for white men in large numbers since the voting rights act. At the start of the primaries, Clinton had the majority of black voter support. Clinton race baiting and the fact that Obama is a stronger candidate on the issues changed that.

[Vince]

Hillary Clinton should come out and publicly say, "if you are only voting for me because you don't won't to vote for a black person, then I don't want your vote."

[Tom]

So what you're saying is that any white person that votes for a white person is racist. At least that is how the informtion seems to be presented. How do we even know how the 0.71 % of the population in Magoffin voted. What if they all voted for Clinton. Furthermore, the statistics only quote the overall population of the county and don't show what percentage of the population are even eligible to vote or what party they are registered to. Maybe the 0.71 % are all Republican and dote vote in the Democratic Primary anyway. Looks like another fine example of insufficient and poorly supported reporting to me.

[althea c. york]

Thank God for his son Jesus who did on the cross for our sins that we might live and have a right to the tree of live and if these people would read their bibles tha includes Hillary the world would better in much better shape and people would not have haterd in there hearts against the colored of a persons skin because god made us all in his on image and likeness. Thank you very much, MS. York, Atlanta, Ga.

[Megan]

"The hills, hollows and other rural stretches of Kentucky."
My, my my. Does anyone else perceive the undercurrent of snobbery implicit here ? In their rejection of B. Hussein Obama, the voters of Magoffin County are not demonstrating racism so much as simple common sense.

Give me Jesse Stuart over Jeremiah Wright any day.

Obama's rhetoric is undoubtedly very engaging to the effete wine & cheese crowd in Frisco, but be assured it doesn't resonate with rural Americans who adhere to traditional values and cherish individual liberty.

There's vastly more to America than Boston and San Francisco and all the public housing projects in between, a fact for which we might all fall to our knees in heartfelt prayers of thanksgiving.

99.29% white ? Frankly, Magoffin County sounds like the sort of place where one might still enjoy life in peace and quiet and not have to live in fear of muggers each time one steps out the door.

[maryjane]

May 21, 2008 (LPAC)--With her speech today in Palm Beach, Sen. Hillary Clinton has also placed Floridians' Constitutional right to have their votes fully counted, in the long progress of ending slavery and winning the right to vote for Black Americans and women. Clinton was speaking to senior citizens, some of whom lost their votes in the Florida recount debacle in the 2000 Presidential election.

She did it while making clear she is continuing until the Democratic National Convention, if necessary, to win this fight for Florida and Michigan, and calling on Sen. Barack Obama to join it.

On slavery or the right to vote: "In each successive generation, this nation was blessed by men and women who refused to accept their assigned place as second-class citizens ... The abolitionists and all who fought to end slavery, and ensure that freedom came with the full right of citizenship."

On the Constitutional principle: "We have certain core rights that no government can abridge and these rights are rooted in, and sustained by the principle that our Founders set forth in the Declaration of Independence. That a just government derives its power from the consent of the governed, that each of us should have an equal voice in determining the destiny of our nation."

On the Florida disenfranchisement of 2000--by corporate purging of public voter lists, Wall Street lawyers' disruption of recounts, and Supreme Court overrule: "We believe that the outcome of our elections should be determined by the will of the people. Nothing more, nothing less. And we believe the popular vote is the truest expression of your will. We believe it today just as we believed it back in 2000 when right here in Florida you learned the hard way what happens when you're votes aren't counted and a candidate with fewer votes is determined the winner.

"I believe the Democratic Party must count these votes. They should count them exactly as they were cast.

"Some say that counting Florida and Michigan would be changing the rules. I say that not counting Michigan and Florida is changing a central governing rule of this country--that whenever we can understand the clear intent of the voters, their votes should be counted."

[Some User]

It's just SO good to know that an article like this even exists. Who cares what color the people were? Isn't that being racist? I'm a white, middle-aged male, and I frankly don't give a rip about the color of the next president, senator, policeman, or milkman.

[craig]

The last time I checked the definition of diversity wasn't confined to race. So because the people of Kentucky and West Virginia are white they aren't diverse? We are apparently different enough from the suburnites on this blog to cause fear, which breeds prejudice. So thank you for contribution to the ever growing social problems in this country.

[Kim Hoover]

Based on the commentary here, it would appear that Obama supporters are simply too good for this country. They have apparently achieved a degree of righteousness that is only rivaled by Jesus Christ himself. I'm sure they are all in the top 3% of intelligence, give away 10% of their gross income to charity, provide hundreds of hours of community and public service per year. Because only then would they be entitled to their sanctimonious sniveling!

[maryjane]

Why is there no media noise on the blatant racism of Obama's black supporters whom are voting simply because he is black? And yet when Hillary quotes from an AP article on how she is overwhelming favored by white working class, the media calls that racism... Just more of media's blatant racist hypocrisy?

[dcw]

to A Voter - Who is the racist/elitist here?
You assume that less education and poverty equates to less intelligence and more racism? You assume that "uneducated, poor, rural whites" can't "think for themselves and make fact based decisions" Talk about stereotyping.
I'm guessing that you probably agree that these are the people who search for refuge in their guns and religion!

[Seth from Kentucky]

This is ridiculous. What about all the white republicans in all the other states who didn't vote for Obama in the primary? Were they all required to switch to being democrats and vote for him in the primary, and if they didn't that makes them all racists? The implications of this article and the comments shows the real ignorance is in those who have drunk the obama kool-aid.

proud to be black = cool
proud to be white = racist

Seriously, read http://www.audacityofhypocrisy.com/fashion-shows/

[BAM!]

Billary's Hillbillies!

[George]

Wake up America! It is not Ky that is going to elect our next president...maybe God is letting us have what we deserve for not always taking a stand, and not serving him and leading all to him like he left us here to do. Think a bout it!

[carol]

As a former Kentuckian [born/grew up there, who now lives in Santa Monica, CA] I find LA Times attitude toward Kentucky as backward as the supposed attitudes of those they are reviling. Taking one rural county out of the whole state to use as an example is pretty inaccurate.

I am finding the discussions about my home state in the press, in general, pretty much rank examples of stereotyping by the press. I think 'the press' , wearing liberalism as chips on their shoulders, are angry they cannot crowd around Obama as their chosen candidate, and this is an example of sour grapes, perhaps, that those darn backwards Kentuckians and W Virginians don't follow the pre scripted party line.

[JimBallard@LouisvilleKentucky]

Why do you folks keep calling Barack Obama a black man? He's a half/breed. 50% white, 50% black and raised by white people. The black half ran off when he was 2 years old. Iam from louisville, kentucky...and iam PROUD of it!

[Mandelay]

Very similar results in "black counties" in other primaries as well. Yes, white people voting for the white over the black ... and, gracious, black people voting for the black over the white. And this tells us something we didn't know. When you get a minute, can you tell us something about an injured or fallen soldier? Something that might make their families think we have them on our minds?

[Mike]

As an Obama supporter, I think some of you are a too hard on the folks of West Virginia and Kentucky. They're good people. Many if not most were raised as racists, and that's truly not their fault. They can change. They have changed. But real social progress is always slow. Some of them can be convinced to vote for Obama. His policies will affect them positively (much more than McCain's tax cuts for the rich!). But first, we need empathy and respect. Second, we must reach out to them. Third, Obama himself must explain how his policies will work best for them. 6 months to do it.

[Cassi]

Some of these comments are rude and ignorant. Claiming Racism and then insulting a whole state full of people...what's the difference? Why be prejudice against everyone from Kentucky based on the fact that we're mainly white and voted for Hilary. I myself am from Kentucky and do not like Hilary at all.

I think it's horrible to judge a place that you don't understand. I'm from Eastern Kentucky (a different part of it) and most of these people grew up with harder lives than we will ever understand. Poor hardworking coal miners and their families deserve respect because they have sacrifised EVERYTHING for their family. There aren't many opportunties in Eastern Kentucky and I find these judgemental comments so rude and stupid. Way claim intellectual superiority over people because you yourself "are not racist" but in the same breath reveal prejudice against a different demographic?

I'm sorry you are prejudice and igornant. Not all Kentuckians are rednecks, and even if they did choose Hilary it's not your place to pass judgement on them.

[Steve James]

Well Obama is getting 95% of the black vote so I guess it is going both ways. The irony of the situation is that Obama is half black and half white. Why does everyone forget that?

[fred]

Furthermore,

If you are going to call white people who vote over 90% for a white candidate horrible names, then the same standard must apply to black people. If not, you are a RACIST.

So, start calling the black people in the counties that voted for him at over 90%: rednecks, hillbillies, ignorant, etc... doesn't feel very good, does it.

double standard. obama loses general election because he can't carry the swing states. period. with obama, you will have 4 more years of republican rule.

[George]

To all those commenters speaking about "reverse racism" from the black voters: Most of the black voters who are voting for Obama supported Hillary initially, and the overwhelming majority of them have voted for white candidates in the past.

How many white people from Magoffin do you think have ever supported a black candidate, or would ever support one? That's why what they are doing is racism, while what most of the black voters are doing is not. The black voters may have unity, but they also vote for white candidates when they believe said person is the best candidate. The white people from certain isolated regions of this country, however, are not even willing to consider a candidate who is black, and thus the two situations are quite different.

-- A rural white guy.

[Tom J]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magoffin_County,_Kentucky#Demographics
99.29% White, 0.15% Black or African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.08% Asian, 0.02% from other races, and 0.27% from two or more races. 0.42% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There is a significant Melungeon population in Magoffin County, known locally as the "Brown People of Magoffin County".

[EddienTexas]

Inbreed, snake handler, conservative, liberal, poor white people, uneducated white people then add in all the code words and phrases that are used to seem politically correct.

yeap stereotypes do exist.

I have been to Kentucky and West Virginia. Beautiful place. But drive out of the city limits and the beautiful country side is spotted with Big huge homes flanked by 3rd world nation "shacks".

Not a pretty picture and definately not a picture of what our United States should look like.

These are white people just like myself who have no one to blame but themselves for the way they live and the way they think.

[doug]

Cassi, read JimBallard@LouisvilleKentucky's comment, then rethink your comment.

Of course it's not that all Kentuckians are racist. Many, many, many of those that voted for Hillary are not. But, it is also true that many are. Like I said, read JimBallard@LouisvilleKentucky comment.

[nina]

Playing the race card, ha?

Should we call all the black people that voted for Obama sexist?

I don't see the point of this so call article.
It's just insulting to the people who like Clinton better then Obama. I

[tom]

you failed to report that 99.29% of the population are related. the ones who voted for obama could not read well enough to distinquish between the names.

[Hri, Chicago]

Obama should support Hillary and Drop off from the race. He should try for VP post. He has to learn may things...we don't need one more Bush from Democratic part.

[Jason]

Just a thought on the "reverse racism" comments. When you belong to a minority group that has never seen equal representation, choosing someone who looks like you, whether it be because she is a woman or because he is black, is quite different than being a member of a majority group that has always been equally represented and choosing someone simply BECAUSE the other person does not look like you. It may sound all the same to you, but hear the difference: I'd like to see a woman be President because we've never had a woman President. I'd like to see a black President because we've never had a black President. I'd like to see a white President because I'd never vote for a black man. Yes, racism works both ways, but we all benefit when we speak in shades of gray rather than in stark blacks and whites.

[Laird Popkin]

Several people have pointed out that Obama currently has very strong black voter support (90%+), implying that black racism is preventing black from voting for Clinton. The thing to keep in mind is that at the beginning of the primaries Clinton had the large majority of the black vote, and it was only later that she lost the black vote to Obama. So unless you're going to argue that blacks became racists midway through the primaries, I think that you hage to look elsewhere for the reason for why blacks turned from Clinton to Obama.

[John]

Wow, you know maybe Kentucky and West Virginia should be barred from voting like Florida and Michigan.

In fact, we should make a list of states that didn't vote for Obama and they should be barred from counting towards the vote!!

If you don't vote for Obama, YOU ARE A RACIST!! That's what I say.

[kate]

For Laird:

So how do you know that the Kentaky people didn't support Obama from the beginni

[len]

I imagine that a Magoffin man can marry six different wives and still have the same in-laws!

[loi]

I call all the people that voted for Obama sexists.

How'bout that.

[Shannon]

For EddieTexas and anyone else that likes to stereotype people from WV and KY, I have a few tidbits for you to consider.....1. Yes, we are poor. 2. Yes, far too many of us are undereducated by today's standards. We do, however, know more about how to survive and be self sufficient than nearly anyone else in the US. 3. Per capita, WV has more people in the military that any other state in the Union. We protect your freedoms and ensure that basic services that you can't live without and often take for granted are maintained. 4. Unless you've been brought up in a family that fights to simply eat every day, you can't say anything to me about any of the choices my friends and family make. 5. Say that to my face and see how much good your education does you. 6. I support Obama, not Clinton...though Ron Paul would be the best for the country, our citizens are just too ignorant to understand why.....

[RR]

The 'kool-aid' phrase is contemptuous condescension and really needs to be retired. It makes the user look as childish as those they disrespect.

A large percentage of white voting for a white looks biased because whites have held the office exclusively. (I'm 'white', or beige anyway.. no beige doesn't mean mixed, although most of us probably are.)

A large percentage of black voting may look biased, but get a clue... it's also indicative of a reasonable desire to break the exclusivity of the Presidency. Once a non-white is elected then afterward we can look at bias... but until a non-white is elected, a large ethnic vote is not simply racist, it's about sharing the reins and reigns of power. Regardless of whether Obama (or even Hillary) were to be elected, the Presidency and country will go on pretty much as before... same sh*tuff, different day... because the Pres will still be fighting with Congress, et al.

So lighten up white people. ;)... - a white boy.

[Mandolynn]

I find it interesting that no one stops to think that Bill Clinton was governor of ARKANSAS and that may be there is a regional attachment to a candidate who rose to national prominence because her husband was the governor of another southern state.

[wer]

I bet that Don Frederick is sexist.

[Larry]

The poverty that exists in Eastern KY, and appalachia should make all of us ashamed. None of us are any better off in reality than the least of us. Think about it. Why should there be anywhere in the United States that we ridicule in such a way. There are people in appalachia who do not even have running water. Oh, yeah say it together, It is their fault. Don't you think that excuse is wearing a little thin. We can plumb Iraq, but not Eastern Kentucky?

[David Velazquez]

I am not voting for Obama because he is black. I am not voiting for him because he has not said much about important issues. He is using the same rhetoric that got George W. Bush elected, which is to say as little as possible. I suspect that he will be a liberal George W. Bush.

[Helen]

It can be too easy to judge a group by its ethnic makeup and see voting as either anti or pro a candidate's face or gender. However, when one candidate has clearly already lost the race and a large mass of people not only turn out to vote for her, but express their intolerance in exit interviews, it is a shameful vote and certainly not one to be proud of.

When you adds less educated to the mix, I do wonder why Ms. Clinton thinks she has bragging rights. She has a strategy of trying to destroy the Democratic Party on her way out because she is a coldly calculating, selfish person who wishes for the Presidency because her brothers are already skilled in selling Presidential pardons.

[fred]

Let's really get down to the understanding of racism... if you have 10% of black blood in you you are considered black. Why do you think that is?

But, if you have 10% of white blood in you, you are not considered white...

The basis for this belief is in some type of pure verses tainted blood. How can we get rid of this racism? stop identifying people by race and/or gender. Take it off the census, out of surveys, out of statistics. Until then, racism will endure.

[tr]

Helen you're a snob. You should be banned for voting for snobbism.

[doug]

To "nina" and "loi"

nina said: "Should we call all the black people that voted for Obama sexist?"

loi said something similar.

The answer is no. Not all black people or people generally that voted for Obama over Clinton are sexist. But some certainly are sexist. I am an Obama supporter and I certainly acknowledge that sexism is in play. I am not proud of it, I do not defend it.

Can you not see that at least in KY and WV racism was also certainly in play?

Perhaps even more importantly, why do so many here deny and defend the obvious racism?

[Agnostic Saint]

This is the way I see it:

Both blacks and whites in the lower income group and without a college degree see race as a major factor in their choce of the candidate, whites against obama and blacks for obama.

On the other hand, those blacks and whites with a collegiate degree and higher income do not see race as a major factor..they are able to see beoynd race. Gives us hope for the future, isn't it?

[Mimi Schaeffer]

From your post Eddlien Texas, it sounds like you might be a kissin' cousin to all those inbreds from Kentucky.

[Jim]

Why would this possibly be viewed any differently than Senator Obama's ridiculous 9-1 advantage in African American votes? There seems to be a statement being made much more consistently by African Americans than by White voters. If it is some form of racism , that is unfortunate but must be viewed both ways. The numbers in this case reach beyond a reasonable doubt.

[Peter Bolaji]

The trend of SOME black people flocking to Obama because he is black is entirely different from SOME of these rural white people flocking to Clinton because she is white. If the black and white people of this country had the same history, then yes, it would be the same. Unfortunately, the two groups have vastly different paths and it is not fair to compare them. Black people who may vote for Obama because he is black are coming from the history of a people who were treated as sub-human property for decades. On the flip side, you have the people who were doing the oppressing.
To sum it up, in this country voting FOR someone because they share your skin color is vastly different from voting AGAINST someone because they DO NOT SHARE your skin color.

[Shannon]

the reason Clinton brags about the "less educated" voters (as they've been termed here) is because apparently they are the majority....if the idiots are not the majority, someone needs to explain how we've had a dictator for the past 8 years and it was never mentioned to us. our country is simply an expansion of the situation present in classrooms all across the nation....30 kids total....5 highly intelligent....20 are average or "C" students...the rest either don't care to try or are suffering from mentall illness or a learning disability. THATS WHY OUR FOUNDERS FEARED DEMOCRACY THE SAME AS MONARCHY. Just because the herd thinks it's a good idea, doesn't mean that it's the right one..............

[David]

The black voters that cast ballots for Obama have pretty much voted for white Democrats their whole lives. Many of Hillary's votes were from Kentuckians that would sooner poke out their own eye than ever cast a vote for a person of color. If you ask them why they will tell you, "I ain't votin' fer no n*****." How do I know? I live in Kentucky myself and have had that conversation many times. Everyone living here knows this to be true, and yet Obama carried the two major cities, and will get the November vote of this tired old white male Republican.

[Duke Hillinger]

Hilliary won because Kentucky has very few really educated people on National and International affairs. They believe what ever she says, because they don't know any better. Why won't anyone ask her how much money she and Bill have taken from Middle Eastern countires? It's 10's if not hundreds of millions of dollars! She has to get in the White House any way she can, because these people have paid her husband for his influence. The presidents salary is peanuts compared to the money they are getting from all these Terrorist producing countries. God help the US!

[Mark Leslie]

It is amazing how Kentuckians are labeled as KKKers and all this anti-white sentiment when 93% of the vote among the black community is considered solidarity and acceptable on behalf of Mr. Obama. You're either a bunch of self-loathers or find that black on white racism is acceptable while white on black is unacceptable. It is my opinion that neither is acceptable nor are your collective attitudes.

[J. Ambrose]

Obama led by his advisors (Kerry/Daschle)will not beat McCain. No Thank You Kerry/Daschle.

Current polls still have Clinton winning over MeCain while obama is -%. But what do we care it is about ignoring the wishes of over 17 million voters that know the logican and correct formula to win in November.

Obama group does not have long time goals they are today kind of people. Long time Democrats plan for the future, get with the program. To the convention just as our other great Presidents won the election..

[Frank US]

Do John McCain or conservative republicans respect the moral foundation of this country? The U.S. Constitution was designed to protect the people of America from misguided government.

U.S. Constitution: Amendment I - Freedom of Religion
Right now, for the first time ever, your tax dollars are funding religious groups you may not agree with. To add insult to injury, conservative judges have ruled that taxpayers do not have a right to challenge this expenditure.

Amendment IV - Search and seizure
Under the guise of court action against abortion, Conservative republicans had John Ashcroft subpoena all the medical records of literally thousands of women just like you and members of your family. Conservative republicans are invading your privacy every day. Unfortunately for all of us, they don't appear to care about our U.S. constitution, or by extension, the people of our great country.

Amendment X - Powers of the States and People
John McCain and conservative republicans have tried consistently to overturn States Laws. They used your tax dollars to destroy the will of the people of Oregon, and the famous "Death with Dignity" law; they lost, but undoubtedly will try again. Conservative republicans and John McCain do not respect States Rights.

Amendment VIII - Cruel and Unusual punishment
Would you rather die, or support a government which supported and sanctioned torture? The founding fathers would rather have died, and in fact they were proud to fight and die for our government: A government which specifically outlaws cruel and unusual punishment for very important reasons.

John McCain and the conservative republicans are destroying the moral foundations of our country. I urge you to keep this in mind in the coming election as we rebuild our nation together by voting Democrat.

[Tim]

I'm a lifelong Democrat but will vote McCain this year because of the way Obama's supporters act,which has been encouraged by the campaign

[tooblacktoostrong]

I think I liked it better when white people were more honest about race like prior to the end of segregation at least then you knew where you stood. (They hated us)

I guess I am a racist because I don't trust people who aren't like me "black". I am sure people will attempt to make the case that many things have changed in this country for the better but thats from a white point of view. Its easier to say when you aren't the minority. I still see racial profiling of not only of Blacks but Hispanics and Arab Americans. If you listen to news and even read the paper there is even a lot of religious intolerance that gets no attention. Don't believe me look at how the faith of Islam gets portrayed as a faith of hate and terror. Once someone knows you are a Muslim there goes the neighborhood.

As long as the balance of power goes towards the majority I don't think a minority has a chance at become the president of the United States. I am not the only who feels this way there are a lot of us who keep silent but know the score.

[Matt]

Actually, there is a big difference between an white county voting 99% for Clinton, and an all black going 95% for Obama. The percent of blacks voting for Obama is about the same, even in diverse areas, while in more diverse areas, the percent of whites going for Clinton is rarely that high. I'm not saying these people are all racists, but I suspect the lack of diversity, not knowing anyone who isn't white, is influencing their votes.

Also, on whether or not blacks voting in large numbers racism issue: I don't think it matters any more than whether or not women voting for Hillary Clinton is sexism. Until blacks (and women) are equally represented in politics, I'll give them both a pass on this.

[Bernie from KY]

Uneducated whites? I'm from Floyd County Kentucky and a little holler by the name of Mud Creek and I'm damn proud of it, a coal mining area much like Magoffin Co. It may be different now that the coal mining industry's dying out but when I was a young man the creed was.. "In coal dust, everyone's black." Meaning even the small % of blacks in the area weren't to be judged upon because they worked the same crappy jobs even the whites and Mexicans and everyone worked there. It's probably the most equal area of the US because everyone was dirt poor and tired of getting screwed by the gov't. Quite frankly calling out racism is the call of an uneducated idiot at a key board. Now I voted for Barack Obama because quite frankly I am ready for change and absolute change. Most of my fellow Kentuckians voted for Senator Clinton because they recall a pretty much GOLDEN era for the area under the guidance of her husband during his presidency.
I can't judge them for making that decision. Nor should you.

[Bubba]

Lemme see ifn I have this here right, 93% of one county votes for Hillary and they is racists. However, in NC 92% of blacks vote fer Obama and they is jist exercizin their votin rights, is that about it then?

[Fred Fep]

The reverse racism nonsense is a Republican construct....NOTHING makes up for 100s of years of slavery, lynching and all that. NOTHING. No need for reparations or anything, just an admittance that the Supreme Court in 1956 saw no reason or need to find systematic discrimination against whie people. It is not an equal thinga t all. It is pure and simple racism, when one reads the interviews where teh racism is admitted....Blacks are voting out of pride, many of these whites despise Hillary, they are voting because they are unrepentant racvists and beyond stupid thinking he is botha radical Christian and a closet Islamic person. Get a grip, Republicans would and do, cheat and do whatever they can to win, and now Hillary and her followers seem to have adopted this. CNDIDATES lose, it has happned before, no need to make up nonsense about sexism. Because if it were this powerful and the reason she screwed up Super Tuesday, then how would she avoid it in November.

I am tired of the Hillary peope who act exactly like Rove Republicans. You people are disingenious and I doubt would ever socialize with the uneducated racists you are so proud of now.

Give me a break, you phonies

[John F. Conroy]

I retired and moved to Kentucky from California. I live in a very diverse county, Nelson County. We put Hillary first, because frankly, I haven't seen ANY agenda from Mr. Obama. "We need change" is not a plan. Face it. It's going to four more years of Bush with McCain, or who knows what from Obama. No, thank you. As far as the ignorant remarks posted so far: you're really showing your stupidity.

[William]

When I lived in Kentucky about 10 years ago, I saw an peculiar man exiting my dentist's office as I was leaving. My dentist commented that this man was a Grand Dragon of the KKK.

I found out later that the KKK still had public service annoucements for meetings on local the local tv news down in Hazard (ironic name) county.

The fact Hillary could rally racists is one more reason to stop her.

[jr]

"yes, because the rights and opinions of people who are not diverse should not matter?"

Obviously they do, they just shouldn't be misconstrued as representing the nation as a whole.

[John T.]

Even though I'm a proud Kentuckian, I too am terribly ashamed at the obviously racist attitudes that some in the state still carry, and that these people allowed this hatred to interfere with what I consider their awesome responsibility to vote in the best interest of their country, I'm equally shocked and dismayed at some of the equally ignorant characterizations of Kentuckians that I've seen presented here-- including those of the blogger. For the record, I'm from those "Hills And Hollers", as the writer so fliply put it, and equally for the record, I'm educated, have all my teeth, and have never had a child with a relative.
The racism shown in the Kentucky primary is indicative of a much larger issue-- not only of how far we still need to go in the fight for civil rights and equality, but also of the internal predjudices against, hate for and ignorance of each other that so many of you have displayed today. Racism, ignorance and intolerance infest all regions, races and people in this country, and no amount of college degrees, fine homes and white collar jobs will wash the hatred you've expressed here off of you. Racism is about ignorance and fear, and not about locality, means or station in life. Each of you is blaring proof of that. I'm ashamed of you all.

[Fritz - New York]

This is one of my favorite quotes: "Don't tell me how educated you are, tell me how much you traveled."

The elitist attitude that some have posted on this site (and others) is probably the resaon why a great number of people are turned off by Obama and his supporters.

The right to vote was give to ALL citizens 18 and older regardless of their education level.

The primaries will conclude on June 3, once all 48 states and commonwealths have voted...don't get your knickers in a twist, this is democracy at it's best.

[max s.]

I can't believe it: You're telling me, the blacks voting for black is not racist (solidarity), but whites voting for white is racist? What kind of logic is that?

I really resent this reverse-racist argument that Obama supporters and main media push. I'm particularly annoyed by the condescending tone from the Obama camp, that it really doesn't matter if Obama lost all these swing states, cuz he'll unite the party when Clinton drops out??? I bet Obama never heard of the Reagan Democrats who are all willing (and now polled to show that they're very likely) to switch allegiance, if the candidate does not look and smell right.

Sure, you can call it all you want. You can call us racist (for not supporting a less-than-qualified black candidate). You can call us ignorant (for not supporting a candidate that college kids and affluent elites push).

But I have a BIG problem with Obama for being condescending, for not being forthright and honest about his true beliefs (witness his Wright association and failure to denounce Wright until he proves to be a liability, and his closed-door remarks on rural whites who don't agree or support him), for lacking ANY track record for anything other than academics.

I've had enough of the trial-and-error by this stupid Bush administration. No, I don't want this country to be another lab test by another candidate who doesn't know what he's doing.

[NS]

"I say KKKongratulations to the KKKlinton KKKampaign!"

Quote of the year right there. That's going in an instant messenger away message.

[Franklin]

Can't wait for her new stump rationalization "The road to the White House goes through Magoffin County" or "No president since 1912 has won the White House without winning Magoffin County".

[echidna1]

magoffin sounds like a mcguffin to me - a way to softball an invite to race bait and regional sterotype.

[Betabel Fep]

She lost Connecticut, Rhode Island
She won New York (big surprise), Massachusetts and New Hampshire (not much elitism there)

oh, who cares, she lost, more than half the states run caucuses, proportional voting is more fair anyway, the popular vote means zilch and always has meant zilch in this nominating process.

Best thing that could happen is a deadlock and they pick someone else, not these two. A pasty white guy would do better anyway, this country isn't ready for such change, not at all. Bunch of stupid, manipulated dumbies in this country. We now have women who claim they would vote for McCain, well, they don't really have any true ideology I guess, that would just be 2008's Nader if they do that. I doubt blacks would vote for that cipher.

You guys have set back race relations decades with your stupid strategy of race baiting, fools

[mdgirl]

I am very disappointed to see all the people who are targeting the amount of white people that support Hillary. Hello, what is the percentage of black people who support Obama? 95% depending on region. If black people support Hillary they are looked down upon for not supporting the movement for a black president, or their people. If white people support Hillary they are racist. All this Democratic campaign has brought us is more hostility between the races. There are a few things we do need to pay attention to with Obama and his campaign. First of all his church of however many years, what do we know about it? He had to pledge allegiance to Africa and had to put Africa and the African American community before all others. I can understand looking out for your race but when you are running for president you need to be concerned with America as a whole. The following info was taken from Obama’s church’s page; the information makes me feel that he is a racist. I do not want anyone who is racist in the presidency black or white. Furthermore, does he really stand a chance to win with all the dirt that is out there about him? It does not bother me to have a non-white president. I just want someone who will do a good job for the entire American population.

The Pastor as well as the membership of Trinity United Church of Christ is committed to a 10-point Vision:

1.A congregation committed to ADORATION.
2.A congregation preaching SALVATION.
3.A congregation actively seeking RECONCILIATION.
4.A congregation with a non-negotiable COMMITMENT TO AFRICA.
5.A congregation committed to BIBLICAL EDUCATION.
6.A congregation committed to CULTURAL EDUCATION.
7.A congregation committed to the HISTORICAL EDUCATION OF AFRICAN PEOPLE IN DIASPORA.
8.A congregation committed to LIBERATION.
9.A congregation committed to RESTORATION.
10.A congregation working towards ECONOMIC PARITY.

• One of the biggest gaps in knowledge that causes the kind of ignorance that you hear spouted by this man [Erik Rush] and those like him, has to do with the fact that these persons are completely ignorant when it comes to the Black religious tradition. The vision statement of Trinity United Church of Christ is based upon the systematized liberation theology that started in 1969 with the publication of Dr. James Cone’s book, Black Power and Black Theology.

• Black theology is one of the many theologies in the Americas that became popular during the liberation theology movement. They include Hispanic theology, Native American theology, Asian theology and Womanist theology.

• I use the word “systematized” because Black liberation theology was in existence long before Dr. Cone’s book. It originates in the days of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. It was systematized and published by theologians, Old Testament scholars, New Testament scholars, ethicists, church historians, and historians of religion such as Dr. James Cone, Dr. Cain Hope Felder, Dr. Gayraud Wilmore, Dr. Jacqueline Grant, Dr. Kelley Brown Douglas, Dr. Renita Weems, Dr. Katie Cannon, Dr. Dwight Hopkins, Dr. Linda Thomas, and Dr. Randall Bailey.

• These scholars, who write in various disciplines, also include seminary presidents like Dr. John Kinney and professors of Hebrew Bible, like Dr. Jerome Ross. Black liberation theology defines Africans and African Americans as subjects – not the objects which colonizers and oppressors have consistently defined “others” as.

• We [African Americans] were always seen as objects. When we started defining ourselves, it scared those who try to control others by naming them and defining them for them; Oppressors do not like “others” defining themselves.

• To have a church whose theological perspective starts from the vantage point of Black liberation theology being its center, is not to say that African or African American people are superior to any one else.

• African-centered thought, unlike Eurocentrism, does not assume superiority and look at everyone else as being inferior.

• There is more than one center from which to view the world. In the words of Dr. Janice Hale, “Difference does not mean deficience.” It is from this vantage point that Black liberation theology speaks.

• Systematized Black liberation theology is 40 years old. Scholars of African and African American religious history show that Black liberation theology, however, has been in existence for 400 years. It is found in the songs, the sermons, the testimonies and the oral literature of Africans throughout the Diaspora.

[Matt]

Some of these comments are just ridiculous.

[Rams]

Difference is black people have been voting for "white folks" (Democrats).

God Bless AmeriKKKa!

[Mags]

It's funny how people in Kentucky think Obama is Muslim. They showed interviews on John Stewart the other day, that was the funniest thing. Comments like "I don't want no Muslim terrorist being president" (like what we have now is so much better) or "that Osama guy is a terrorist".
So not being diverse is not a problem, being uneducated is.

[Eloy Ochoa]

Our country can and will survive racism no matter what happens in politics. I believe that everyone is created equal with rights to choice because there are soldiers who have given their lifes so they can have the freedom to choose. I served our country for 26 years and I am proud of that accomplishment. I will treat everyone with respect and thats all I ask of everyone.

[jr]

"when 93% of the vote among the black community is considered solidarity and acceptable on behalf of Mr. Obama. You're either a bunch of self-loathers or find that black on white racism is acceptable while white on black is unacceptable."
Mark Leslie

Mr. Leslie, there is a distinction between the oppressed voting for their candidate (e.g. Blacks voting for Obama) and the oppressors refusing to vote for a candidate based solely on their race (e.g. WV and Ken.voters stating that they would never vote for a black man under any circumstances)

Blacks have turned out in record numbers to vote for white candidates but the opposite can not be held to be true.

Given the history of how whites have treated blacks in this country it is natural to assume that they would gravitate towards a talented and likable candidate such as Barack Obama.

[EddienTexas]

As to the sharp debate created by my use of stereotypes I offer the following for you to consider

As the son of a grand cyclopes in the KKK in Gwinette County Georgia in the late 1940 thru the early 50,s whose roots go back to rural Georgia.. I do not think its my amount of EDUCATION that shapes my thoughts and beliefs but it does give me quite a UNIQUE view of the way the Republican Party exploits people who share my race.

I do share some traits of my KKK officer dad who has been dead for years..

I dont mind telling what I think and getting straight to point

But unlike my Dad.. hopefully his twisted social logic will disappear from Whites Blacks and Hispanics and other minority groups too numerous to mention in my great country which like it or not does include Ky and WV.

We will always be culturally socially and economicly divided but we MUST learn to find common ground if this nation is to remain the real America we all were raised to believe in.

there is one word for that

CHANGE

If there is no change our children will still be generating hate and fear of those who differ from us and passing it along to their children just like we are all doing here at this moment

[052208]

I think a point that quite a few of you are deliberately missing is the fact that Hillary Clinton was and is STILL being supported by millions of Black voters (middle class and well to do alike). It was primarily AFTER Bill Clinton started making derogatory statements about Black voters that Black voters starting going en masse to Obama. You have to remember Obama won 12 straight states AFTER Bill Clintons stupid statements. That being said of course there are black and white voters who are voting primarily on skin color. However there is also a significant amount of WOMEN who think putting a woman in office will right all of the wrongs they believe women have suffered. There is so much discrimination, racism, and gender biased problems with this election that I honestly believe the democrats will lose this election because people can NOT get pass Obama being a black man or Hillary being a woman. My problem with Hillary Clinton is she never wants to be accountable for her actions and words. Then she blames men and says sexism is at play (at this late stage in the game). Barack Obama has NEVER blamed him being a black man for losing votes or primaries even when it is blatantly obvious in states like West Virginia or Kentucky that these people voted against him because he is Black. That may be a harsh truth for some of you to read; but never the less it is the truth. Polls were taken and people in both of these states said bluntly they had ‘issues voting for a black person.’ These people plan on voting for John McCain if Obama is the nominee and I plan on voting for John McCain if Clinton is the nominee. Because I refuse to cast my vote for Hillary Clinton is encouraging, supporting and promoting racist white people to vote for her because she is white and they are white. PERIOD. According to Clinton the election will be lost without racist white people votes – well I rather lose an election with Obama then win one with people who believe that the only way is the WHITE WAY.

[Anonymous]

Hillary Clinton seems to get the support of uneducated, ignorant, poor white racists. Hmmm. Do we really want to leave the choice of who the next leader of the free world will be with people that probably could not tell even spell the word d e m o c r a c y?

[Louis F.]

Obama is half white, does this make him half racist?

Maybe then 20 years with Pastor Wright has increased it to 110% Oh but wait, he threw the Pastor under the bus with his grandma. So this makes him atheist too?

Please explain this to me, I'm white and so therefore I am stupid and can't possibly be doing anything that is not racist.

Isn't Obama half white?

Friggin white people are the reason for 9/11, they are the reason for AIDS, they are the friggin reason this land was taken from the Indians.

We should get rid of ALL WHITE PEOPLE!!

Sound familiar?

[CHRIS in Atlanta]

All of this is embarrasing. In reading the majority of the crap on this blog, it is all negative, and more disheartening than that, its simply hopeless.

While I am an Obama supporter - that's not the point. The point is our economy and thus life is on the brink of utter failure and the we're like little kids, both Black and White, sitting in the back seat fighting over who gets to sit next to the damn window.

Its time to grow up AMERICA. The rest of the world is moving along, and were sitting at a green light. The current econmic plan and leadership has failed at their job.

If youre white, congratulations. Black, congratulations, Gay, congratulations. We have serious issues that we as Americans need to address.

If we are not careful, we are going to be speaking Chinese and paying for our groceries with foreign currency.

[dusty bermann]

Who cares about Hillary's demographic stats anymore? It's over. She lost. The point is Mr. Obama beat her fair and square. Mr. Obama, please don't pay Hillary's campaign debt. She dug her own hole, let her be buried in it.

[Shannon]

the citizens of this country need to do two major things if we are ever going to make America what it deserves to be. 1. we need to rethink the entire way our government works and what actions are to be taken when the people running it decide to ignore our constitution. if there were real checks and balances, GW Bush would have been gone a long time ago. 2. we need to understand that your government is like your family, friends, children, job, ect....you truly get out of it what you put into it. perhaps we could start asking ourselves what we can do to make a difference instead of believing that electing anyone, regardless of what he/she says, is going to be enough. take some pride and take a stand and put your butt on the line and we'll get our country back. sadly, I do not ever see this happening in my lifetime as there are too many people that like to complain but do nothing about it for fear of losing what they already have

[Aristotle]

Colleged educated elitists vote for Obama;
College educated elsits are smart and intelligent;
Therefore, Obama voters are of above average intelligence

90% of blacks voted for Obama;
Therefore, 90% of blacks are of above average intelligence.

Kentucky hillbilies are uneducated and therefore less intelligent;
They voted for Hillary;
Therefore Hillary voters are of below average intelligence;
60% of white women voted for Hillary;
therefore white women are dumb;
Nancy Pelosi is a white woman;
therefore she must be dumb;
Nancy Pelosi is Speaker of the House and a leader of the US;
therefore the US is governed by dumb people;
Obama wil become POTUS and govern the US;
therefore the POTUS must be dumb (just like the current one).

This is the same logic as displayed in the above article.

Conclusion: the Press must be full of dumb people, to come up with idiotic stories like the above article....

[RCA]

Has anyone looked at the percentage of the Black vote Bill Clinton received in his bids for election? Also look at the percentage of the Black vote Kerry received when Al Sharpton was running against him. The most suprising thing about this primary season is that Hillary made the assumption that she would duplicate what her husband and Kerry did. I wonder why she didn't?

[Seth from Kentucky]

For those of you who argue that blacks voting for obama b/c he's black ISN'T racism, b/c they've been oppressed and want to break the "white man's hold" on the presidency...

Racism by definition happens when someone prefers a person b/c of their race. If a black person votes for Obama b/c he's black, then they are making a racist decision. This is true regardless of how major or minor an influence race plays in their decision, since any amount of motive based on race is still a racist motive. The same goes for white voters who vote for Hillary b/c ONE of the things they don't like about Obama is his race.
It doesn't matter if blacks have been oppressed for so long that they just want a black president. That's still a racist judgment.

So when 95% of the blacks turn out in the democratic primary for Obama, you know something is up. That something is racism, no matter how you spin it.

I hate to be educating you all on this subject, since I'm from Kentucky and apparently I'm supposed to be an uneducated snake handler redneck.

[tajo]

I appreciate the comments from Shannon- we should be grateful to those who serve our country even though many who enter the military do it out of financial hardship. I live in Kentucky, and it gives me and my family a beautiful, affordable, great place to raise our children. I live in Lexington, which is overwhelmingly for Obama. I do think this is due to the university and young / educated voters. The truth is that racism DOES populate our states (WV & KY) and it shocks me sometimes that people still think the way they do. I do believe that is why our states are so overwhlemingly for Clinton (and why they say they would rather vote for McCain than vote for Obama- they are not voting on the issues). And another knock upon our states is that we are among the poorest welfare states in the country. Some of these poor, rural citizens live on welfare and raise their children to live on welfare. I don't mean to sound like a Republican, but it is a culture that has continued for decades. These people also rely on Medicaid for their healthcare, which comes out out of the pockets of those of us that pay taxes. So for them, a universal health plan (which some ignorant person thinks is a form of socialism) is already in place. I love Kentucky, but let's call a spade a spade. I personally do NOT want these people deciding who our president is based on his race.

[Art]

I've live in Kentucky for over 30 years in a beautiful small town. It came as no surprise that Obama lost in this State. Racism is right under the surface of a great majority of these lovely people......in many ways it is the old south. It is very sad. I was afraid to put up my Obama sign.

[Robert Couch]

The percentage of black people who support Obama? How about 95% depending on region. If black people support Hillary they are looked down upon for not supporting the movement for a black president, or their people. If white people support Hillary they are racist?

Black racism is as ugly as white and sexism is in play here as well.

[Southernson]

And we wonder why people think Obama is perceived as an elitist! Could it be because of some of his supporters attitudes and comments posted here? It appears that most consider themselves better than all the people than reside in Ky and WV!!!

[Matt]

Being from Ky and discussing this issue with other Democrats I know, people didn't vote for Obama because he didn't campaign in Ky...Hillary did. I would venture to say the entire state felt like they were overlooked by Obama. Majority of the Democrats didn't know who they were going to vote for because they're both great candidates, and I think that was what made up there minds.

[John]

Does that also mean 99.29% of the Magoffin population did not go to college and instead clings to guns and religion?

[Peter]

Yep, Obama has won before it's over all right... just ask Florida and Michigan

[Kelly]

Seriously.
How ignorant are the people on here that assume that people that live in rural areas are uneducated and poor. I happen to live in a rural area ON PURPOSE because I like the honest people, the beauty of the area and the peacefulness. I am a vice president of a company and have my doctorate. So watch who you call dumb and poor. Not everyone wants to live in a city with concrete instead of trees and people right next to you. Thank goodness.

[kylady]

As a resident of Kentucky, I am sick and tired of hearing how racist this state is from one primary race vote. No one apparently is aware that Clinton also won in California, for if they were they would realize that in order for Clinton to have won in that state, it would have to be filled with uneducate, racist, rural, idiot rednecks! Obama has nothing to offer this state. His speeches had no real merit, no details, nothing to back up his promises. Perhaps residents of Kentucky have just exercised their right to prefer an answer to a question. Lumping the entire lot into a "deliverance" scene is not only absurd but unfair to those who actually labored over their decision of who to vote for. Go ahead, make the jokes, Kentucky will make the bourbon. For those not consumed by the stereotypes, you should try getting off the highway in Kentucky and meeting the residents before you judge them. It is irresponsible "journalism" that keeps bringing this irrelevant information to light. Serves no purpose and proves nothing. The writer can go *** himself.

[Jack]

More passive race bating by the MSM.... More important; Fox delivers yet another 'unexpected' election result on American Idol. Brace yourself.

[Sad]

Gordito,

I agree with "Not Surprised" Blacks voting in those numbers represents pride (if you assume voting solely based on color, surely a large majority are voting on his character) whereas in WV and KY that 90% represents folks voting out of hate or fear. It's voting for vs. voting against. So, please don't compare apples and oranges.

[steve]

Jr wote:
"Blacks have turned out in record numbers to vote for white candidates but the opposite can not be held to be true."

JR, if your assertion is true, then how can Obama, a black person, is leading in votes, and likely to be the next POTUS?

Last time I looked, whites are still the majority in the US.

[GM]

So basically, in one small county in Kentucky, Hillary Clinton got ALMOST as large a percentage of the white vote as Barack Obama gets of the black vote in virtually every county in virtually every state (including, ironically, Oregon, which held it's primary on the same day as Kentucky).

Why does the author think racism is okay when it's practiced by blacks, but notable and newsworthy when it's practiced by whites?

[Leishtek]

Southern white racist voters, anyone??

[JM]

Per the 2000 census, the county has 13,235 whites and 97 "non-whites"....

So, Obama got votes from 1.5 x the number of "non-white" residents but Hillary got votes from only 0.2 x the number of white residents.

Even though the county isn't very diverse, clearly SOME whites in the county are voting for Obama!

[Omentum]

146 smart people in the county.... PROGRESS..

OBAMA 08

[Sue Henderson]

For "A Voter" who responded previously:

Hillary is proud because a win is a win. Obama is proud of his wins for the same reason.

Apparently you are the uneducated less intelligent person here.

Generalized statements such as "uneducated, poor, rural whites" and "people who tend to be less intelligent and more racist than the average person" are statements that only a person who does not know the meaning of diversity or intelligence would make to spur on the inflamatory blatant racist remarks.

The real race is not between HIllary and Obama - the real race is to see if Americans - all Americans are going to stand idly by why our elected officials continue to pass laws that strip us of our freedoms (each law passed removes a little more freedom "A Voter") and make our society more dependant on government to handle the necessary duties of the American people.

This country needs leaders to foster independance from government intervention. It's passed time the American people learned to stand on their own two feet and that includes "A Voter" who obviously believes that his "education" and "intelligence" is far superior than the education and intelligence of the people of West Virginia and Kentucky.

It just does not matter who wins. It matters what the winner does while in office.

[Marc1A]

Listen to some of you.
>I'm not sure I understand why Hillary is so proud of her KY & WV victories. Is it really a good thing that she is winning the votes of uneducated, poor, rural whites? I mean, I don't think I'd want to trumpet the fact that I'm the choice of people who tend to be less intelligent and more racist than the average person...<

You may think you are all so better because you think you're not racist, but comments like these show you're all just as prejudiced as any white bigot. And it's typically Obama supporters that have this elitist attitude. Just like somebody above said, reverse-racism is still racism. Obama supporters don't seem to practice the politics of change that their leader preaches.

[kymale]

Racism is racism, I am a transplanted ky resident. It is on both sides for sure, but what do whites make up of the population has to be atleast 95%, saying it's out there and doing anything to change it is two different matters entirely. I know for me, getting out of this BS war, and developing an energy plan run 1 and 2. I tend to not go for the people who with all of there exprerience have done nothing to get out of the war, talk all they want, action dictates everything, what action has been taken, two votes for the war, no energy plan, I think Pres Clinton did nothing to curve dependance on oil, he encouraged it. He signed off on two of the most disasterous deals in history we are getting trounced, and China and India are flourishing thanks in large part to us. So I will go off of track record, and look we are screwed. I am going with the unproven guy, as black as he may be it doesn't bother me. It does bother people here very much. Coming from California, I have never seen people use the N word so much and as freely with hate then I do here.

[raymond fernandez , doctor from alabama]

The scariest thing to me is to see people with so much hate that they look down at other people and label them as uneducated and ignorant. Such intolerance is no different than the prejudices of times past.

Uneducated, I wish you had some education on who Kentuckia