APPALACHIA UPDATE

I noted below that Obama doesn't seem very popular with Appalachian whites and now I learn that Democrats in general aren't very popular with them. In an op-ed in the NY Times, CHARLES M. BLOW informs us that:

...it hasn't been Democratic country for the last two presidential elections. Only 48of the counties voted for John Kerry in 2004, down from 66 counties (or 16 percent) that went for Al Gore in 2000. The only states with counties in the region that have consistently voted Democratic in the last four such elections have been New York, Pennsylvania and Maryland.

Here's a graphic from the op-ed. Click for a larger version.