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

[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?