Why Obama Has A Scot Irish Problem

I thought the New Yorker had a very interesting article up called The Appalachian Problem
Obama goes to rural Virginia.

Many people scream racism as to Obama problem with these Scot Irish folks we see in South west Virginia and other places of the "white" very Scot Irish Appalachian folks. The Big problem for Obama is that this important group is not only a strong demographic in Southern VA but also in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Indiana, and Kentucky and elsewhere.

Do they have a problem with Obama based on race. Well no doubt you can find some. However as this article points out many years the First black Governor of Virginia Doug Wilder did very well down there many years ago which makes you think Obama's problem is not race. Add to that how times have changed in other ways ( For instance both people running for Governor in WV this year are Catholics and no one cares) and on thinks just yelling racism as we saw when Obama lost this region to Hillary is not exactly helpful

The article again is interesting on several levels including some fascinating , colorful and important poilitical figures that are profiled.

However let post this part that jumped out to me (Slightly edited so this post does not get caught in a hyperactive parental filter :) )

Saunders worked as a senior strategist in John Edwards’s Presidential campaign, and is now following Obama’s with a critical eye. He worries that Obama seems too professorial, too detached, to make headway with rural voters. ‘‘I never thought I would see Hillary Clinton being defined as pro-gun and anti-trade, and a black guy being considered an élitist down here.”
Obama’s “Change” message, Saunders argues, is too abstract, too vague, for the region. “Those people you were with today were screwed by the English in Scotland and Ireland way before they came over here and started getting screwed,” he said. “They’ve been screwed since the dawn of time. And you know what? You ain’t gonna do anything with them, talkin’ about change. You know why? We’re all changed out. That’s all you ever hear, every election.
Somebody’s gonna change some sh#t. Nothin’ ever changes. We get f##ked.”
Good read