"This is an age old question, but one that defies reason. Mississippi, the poorest state in the country, highest percentage of uninsured, highest number of people on food stamps, lowest rate of graduation/college success... is also the state that most often votes against its own best interests. They vote against affordable health care, against food stamps, against more taxes going to education... how is this explained? Is it the lack of education itself that is causing the self-sabotage? I had a conservative colleague grow annoyed that a cartoon portrayed them as either rednecks or rich bankers. This is obviously not true, but the Mississippi example explains why the perception... it boggles my mind."
I wasn't sure what to expect, but I received an amazing answer from a user named 'sassXcore' on Reddit.
As with all things, there is probably not one simple answer to this question. It's most likely a combination of things, and I think 'sassX' covered almost all, if not every one of them.
Check it out...
ANSWER VIA REDDIT FROM 'SASSXCORE'...
"I just moved from Florida to Mississippi for graduate school & I'm getting my degree in Southern Studies. There are a TON of reasons for this & I can't go into all of them. I will preface it with this: there are plenty of Democrats, liberals, & people who vote in their own best interests in Mississippi.
Here are some of the reasons why the opposite is/seems to be true:
• Southern values: The idea of independence, self-sufficiency, personal autonomy, tradition, & local governance continues.
• Distrust of the federal government/politicians, outsiders, change, etc.
• Religious values: To many, religion is the most important value. Many religious people in MS & the South are evangelical fundamentalists, so their views correlate best with the views that religious conservatives like Santorum & Gingrich have. They cannot in good conscience vote against religious beliefs, because their religious beliefs matter the most in this life & the afterlife.
• The way the political machinery works in the state. Power is centered around wealthier white people. Poorer areas & areas with a high black population have less power when it comes to primary & presidential delegates, candidates, etc. If you look at the Republican primary results, the Delta (high black population) and a number of other counties (including mine - Lafayette County) voted for Romney, who is the more moderate candidate. Those counties also voted for Obama in 2008. In 2008, Mississippi was too close to call until the very end, which is something that would surprise most about the state.
• The education system here sucks (due to a lot of reasons, including budget problems). Many freshmen in college can barely form sentences. Educated, informed people make better-informed voters.
• The poorest people in any state are often the people who don't vote. They're the ones who don't have the time or means to vote because of multiple jobs, no car, etc. So voting is left to those who don't need the government aid.
A recent study found that people who have low IQs and are racist are more likely to be conservative because stability is good & change is threatening. This can explain a lot about many in Mississippi. Many people today think they aren't racist, but actually hold discriminatory views about specific groups of people. So unconscious racism still plagues a lot of people in America, which often translates into voting against "government hand out" programs and such.
When discrimination became taboo/impractical/politically incorrect, many Southern politicians and presidential candidates muted their overtly racist rhetoric and began speaking in a sort of code that many whites understood. For example, talk about family values often hides discriminatory ideas about women or homosexuals. Speaking about states' rights or welfare hides racism. Many voters today grew up hearing these terms and don't understand the bigotry that is hidden.
Unfortunately, it seems to be a vicious cycle that keeps perpetuating itself. Some stems from factors outside of individuals' control, other factors are cultural, and others are about ignorance.
That being said, there are a lot of positive changes going on in the state. While I live in a very liberal county for MS, students from across the state come to the University of Mississippi for an education. UM is doing a lot to change its image and the image of the state and it has accomplished a lot in the 50 years since the school integrated. The school is doing its best to educate students about racism & other things and provide opportunities for people of all backgrounds & races."
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