How West Virginia has turned to a GOP stronghold?

[Virginiá]

I know Obama had proposed a financial package to try and address the problem of attracting jobs to a region no employers are interested in, but the Rs in Congress chose to ignore it (even with all the goodies included in the great compromise), and Hillary has proposed an even bigger package, but I don't know why the Rs would go for that either.  I don't know how effective it would be, but in the interim, each year that goes by the region will get older, poorer, probably more drug addled and more dead.

They wouldn't. If they had a Republican in the White House who could claim credit for it (as the people benefiting from it would give most of the credit to basically whoever was in the white house, as is usual), and had a reasonable belief that such a financial package would benefit them politically, they would probably do some sort of relief. Otherwise, if the poor, drug addicted citizens will continue voting for them, it's irrelevant. I don't say this necessarily out of bias against the GOP, but because they showed no desire to help the American people in the middle of the recession. No compromise on infrastructure spending to create jobs/help economy, almost all Republicans voted against the stimulus, etc.

If they wouldn't help America in general then, I can't see why they would help Appalachia now unless there were political dividends to be had.

[Virginiá]

The free market is the only way to get out of any economic hole.

Right, but sometimes people need help, or the economy needs a jump-start. There is nothing fundamentally wrong with lending a hand for a short while, then letting go when they can take over. For the recession, people needed help - Not persistent, lasting help, but at least some for the next couple years, whether it was in the form of jobs or whatever. Otherwise, you just unnecessarily prolong their suffering based on ideological preferences, rather than for any useful purpose.

Temporary assistance (such as a jobs program) and adhering to free market principles long-term are not mutually exclusive.

[Virginiá]

I'm all for helping the less fortunate even through government programs, but there's a big difference between that and what the Democrats want to be done.

Well I don't want to get into a debate about the Democratic party platform, but I was just saying for the government to go into Appalachia and retrain workers, attract businesses through various means, invest in infrastructure development for jobs/the economy, all to boost the prosperity and growth of the area, should be something that is acceptable to both parties, regardless of how they view the free market.

For some reason modern day Republicans just don't like investment programs like this. I always assumed it was for fiscal reasons (even if they are OK with deficit-busting tax break initiatives ).