Kentuckians are welfare queens and they're in denial about it

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

What does krazen think of these people?

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I should point out that a Democratic inverse doesn't sound anywhere near as stupid or ridiculous.

Let's imagine Joe Lower Middle Class, a straight ticket Democratic voter who lives somewhere like Duluth or a blue collar suburb of Philadelphia. Joe isn't too politically active or aware, but believes that the Republicans are a bunch of working common people hating plutocrats who only care about strengthening big business and the richest people. Joe believed that if McCain or Romney won the election they would increase his taxes so they could cut taxes for the rich and big business.

Now does that sound anywhere near as absurd or idiotic as the people in the OP?

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

A little point here, a lot of people seem to be saying this type of derision is wrong and these attitudes are all because of the Democratic Party not standing up for such people. Despite that as Lief pointed out, Obamacare is exactly the sort of thing that will benefit them especially with the Medicaid expansion. Now I know some might try the typical anti-Obamacare from the left arguments and claim it doesn't help anything, so I'll ask this instead:

What if Obama had gotten single-payer passed instead? Would these people then support it?

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

There is nothing, absolutely nothing, that anyone from either party could do to stop the decline of the coal industry. Regardless of whether or not you regard it as a good thing (I tend to side with the environmentalists on this one), the fact remains that trying to prop up or save coal would be like trying to save buggy whip makers after the automobile was invented. The fact that methods of heating and electricity production exist today besides an archaic 19th century fuel is nothing something that is going to change based on any politician's agenda.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Why should Educated American Liberals with Gilded Lives (or whatever) show respect for these racist hypocrites? Just because they're (often) working class?

Well, they're frequently racist hypocrites as well (if of a less brazen but more directly problematic kind), so on such grounds they should be expected to show (mildly embarrassed) solidarity.

I don't know about respect. That implies prescribing certain political values - such as my objectively, inherently and obviously correct ones - as compulsory.

But people with prosperous and secure existences - such as an overwhelming majority of readers of The Atlantic magazine and (obviously) this forum - sneering at people with hard lives? And, to a significant extent, sneering at them for having hard lives? That leaves me with an extremely bad taste in my mouth.

Actually plenty of people on this forum have hard lives too, it's not as if actual affluence is required for internet access today. Hell last month because of some unexpected expenses I ended up having to float my last rent check, aka write it without enough funds to cover it and get away with it only because it processed after my paycheck came through. Might also be worth noting where I live isn't exactly all that prosperous either (25% poverty rate in my neighborhood.)

TNF wins the thread. As has been said before, at least the GOP pretends to care about rural whites. The Democrats approach is "STFU about guns, coal and abortion and do what you're told you ignorant rube".

Abortion isn't really a major driver of voter behavior in the area (neither are churchy issues in general: this is not an area with strong religious institutions, even if it does have a strong grassroots religious traditions), the electoral impact of the gun issue is probably overrated, and that of the coal issue is like twelve times more complicated than the internet seems to get. Note that it's only become toxic in the past couple of years (while employment in the industry has been collapsing for about three decades).

But here is the thing, they intentionally vote against their own economic interests. The comments are not saying Obamacare is bad because it doesn't go far enough. It's pretty obvious if single-payer was passed they'd be just as furious.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Sneering is not the right attitude to adopt, for sure.

That said, stupidity is stupidity and there's not way of calling it differently (whether it is displayed by working, middle or upper-class people, there is little difference). I'd say sadness and despair are more appropriated reactions than contempt.

It isn't stupidity. They have no reason to vote for the Democrats if they aren't substantially economically leftist and populist.

Once again, what if Obama had got single-payer passed? Do you think these people would support that?