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

[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.