I was reading
Bob Holsworth's Virginia Tomorrow listing of articles when I ran across this piece about what he calls Democratic Anxiety in Appalachia. The article,
Stoking Democratic Fears in Coal Country appears in The Electoral Map blog and discusses why far Southwest Virginia Counties such as Buchanan have left the Democratic Party and why Obama lost that part of the state when Bill Clinton was much more popular. The other major focus is about Rick Boucher's prospects in the fall election that may not be as easily won as in the past. I highly recommend this article.