Owsley County's uninsured rate dropped from 26% to 13% in the last year because of Obamacare.
An excellent point.
McConnell did run on getting rid of Obamacare would not hurt the exchanges. Of course it was bs.
Al has often made the point about the Democratic Party not having anything to offer the people of Appalachia, and this seems to be a counterpoint. Certainly it's true that the Democrats can't do anything to bring jobs to many of these communities.
That's a good counterpoint, but it's also possible that people may be mad that they're unemployed/scraping by and now
must purchase health insurance. Do we know how premiums have changed sine the ACA went into effect? Any cancellations from this county?
Health insurance or Medicaid is good and I'm sure they appreciate it, but that's only something people focus on when the bill comes due. If they're sitting around the house, staring at the walls, and possibly abusing drugs/alcohol because they're unemployed or underemployed and lost their old jobs in coal or any other industry, that's probably something that's foremost in their mind, because that's what they experience every day. What's the unemployment or underemployment rate in the area? Info on drug usage, alcohol abuse, dropout rate, teen pregnancy, etc. might clue us in to what's happening on the ground in those areas, and could be a reason why they still voted for McConnell.
