I Went To The Most Republican County In America 

Here's the entire Appalachia Road Trip: ru-vid.com/group/PLq-_cmf3H6yrVA4HLAJ9hgylkyIiI4Az6

Sickening how people with money is so quick to condemn people with out

I took a train trip through Germany about five years ago. Along the way, I noticed almost every rural town seemed well-kept and had at least one sizable factory near the tracks. My impression was that the Germans must not have outsourced a lot of their industry to China (and other places) like our politicians and corporate leaders did. Once you eliminate good income opportunities from a community, you have basically killed it and people will leave or just hang on as best they can.

These people seem to be the salt of the earth type. Honest and hard working, they just need something to do. God bless them.

I grew up in NYC & can't imagine ever going back to that city existence. Give me the quiet joy of rural life all day every day.

Walmart killed Mom and Pop stores, then moved out. Shame on them 😕

I don’t associate politics with being poor. You can be poor no matter who you vote for or don’t vote for!!!

I am a german woman and had a road trip through this area years ago and I loved it. People are very funny and freandly. They may not have much money but they know how to survive any kind of situation.

Shut the power off for 6 months and these people would be the ones to survive.

My grandfather was a miner in Logan County in the 1920s. The coal companies didn't pay wages in cash, they paid in script which was only redeemable at the "company store". West Virginia was poor when the mines were flourishing and it's poor after they closed down. These parts of Appalachia are like any other colonial society in the world. Once the "colonizers", in this case the coal companies, use up the resources and human capital they take the wealth and leave. They always leave behind a trail of poverty and hopelessness which in turn leads to dysfunction and addiction. That is a cold, hard fact...

I would rather live in an old trailer in WV than a million dollar house in California.

PRIME example of why these political parties are (say it with me) TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN! We have to band together and save ourselves.

This women is a great example of conservative Christian values.

If you are expecting any politician to come along and make your life better, you are setting yourself up for disappointment.

I noticed the town looks clean and quiet. Although people may not have a lot of money it looks like they're at least trying. Being poor doesn't mean you are unorganized or unclean. Being rich doesn't automatically make you clean nor does it automatically make you organized either. Whether you're rich or poor, making an effort to live a decent respectable life is extremely important.

You can qualify the absence of chain stores as poverty, or you could see it as an opportunity for local small business.

I don't know how I stumbled into this video, but I'm gonna lay out some thoughts. My family immigrated from Sicily to just outside Oceana, WV in the early 1900's to work in coal mining. I still have family living in the area today. They are without doubt the kindest, upstanding people I have ever met in my entire life. The amount of care people in that area have for one another puts anything else to shame. Sure, they live a simpler life, but they're also good people. I'll take good simple people over an urban turd any day. I find it a little disappointing that the guy who made this video thought it would be more entertaining to subtly heckle people for being "dumb conservatives," but the fact of the matter is that conservatives are not behind on the times. Want to know why they vote red? In an area that is falling apart, riddled with drugs, and in economic shambles? The answer is Barack Obama. Historically, WV was a very pro-union state thanks to the UMWA, and usually the state supported Democrats at a much higher level. However, as Democrats became more Enviro-crats and the implemented policies that damaged the lifeblood of the UMWA, the miners started turning to the other side of the aisle. Make no mistake about it, the four years of President Trump were the most economically-beneficial that part of the country has seen since the early 2000's. Furthermore, it was Obama's war on coal and southern border failures that were the two driving forces behind the Appalachian opiod epidemic. In WV, over half of all children are raised by someone other than their parents because of it. The federal government created a system where it paid to fail for the coal companies, resulting in abandoning the people who had been in the mines for generations. Jobs went out, drugs came in, and unlike what President Biden has to say, coal miners cannot simply just "learn to code." I hope Nick Johnson learned a bit more than what the first portion of this video indicates. I love these sorts of videos, usually, but his narration ruined it. Show some respect next time.

I love that these people can talk so calmly and respectfully. I think the Democratic and Republican parties love to divide us. I wish everyone even if we disagree could have these types of discussions and recognize how much we have in common.

I watched a documentary about Appalachia, and a woman said, " We didn't know we was in poverty until the government came here and told us we was."

this is amazing testimonial from Jima Dunigan, she is outspoken and truthful and I would enjoy meeting with her and staying in her establishment.

I take this any day over L.A. or NYC or Chicago. I love peace and quiet and nature.

I ran around WV and Kentucky for 11 years and I loved every interaction and friend I met. Yea, it’s poverty at its best but these are the nicest people you could ever have the pleasure to meet and call a friend

Having lived in San Diego and the SF Bay Area, I’ll take West Virginia any day!! I’m in rural Maine now and loving it!!!

Wow! Thanks for this show. Lovely honest humble people. An eye opener for many. God Bless you there!

Having the equivalent of a double wide floor space, washer and dryer, AND a yard in NYC would cost you millions of dollars. People don't know the difference between money and wealth anymore. As far as how well people are maintaining the looks of their properties, maybe go to East New York in Brooklyn and do a side by side.

I wouldn't go so far as to say it's a paradise, but I work in mining, live in a very rural conservative area, and support our 2nd amendment. These are my type of people here, the salt of the earth. When the crap hits the fan, these are the folks you want on your side.

I hauled coal out of the Appalachian coal fields for nearly 40 years on the railroad. Now that coal is basically gone, the whole region is slowly reverting back to nature.

Places like Philadelphia, Detroit, and Baltimore are, like West Virginia, among some of the poorest places in the country. And they vote staunchly Democrat. So I guess, at the very least we can all agree that neither side is really doing a whole lot for any of us, am I right?

Alot of people like the country life of simple layed back no traffic no road rage no hate and no wanna bees. To many people the meaning of life is not how much money you can make but to live in peace.

I ask Americans to be open-minded to both parties. The rural conservatives have little money, little assets, and dying slowly in their worn down homes. The cities have mentally ill homeless that ruin entire areas, policies that let criminals get away, and a wealth gap. Neither party is a clear winner.

I know you are making light of the area a bit and I get it, you're not exactly wrong....but I'll bet you didn't feel unsafe or like you were going to be robbed or carjacked either.

Being poor doesn’t have a political party. The overall tone of the video was mean-spirited. They were charitable to a snobby outsider.

This is such an informative video. I like wen u talk to the people n get info.

When all the shit hits the fan, these people won't even stress it. Cause living in the real world is what they are doing. You don't need a big house or a bunch of stuff to be content and happy. And being out in the mountains, there is nothing better, it grounds you like nothing else. I see a great little close knit community, where people have each other's backs, it's, quiet, peaceful, low stress. Looks perfect to me.

West Virginia born and bred and I have 58 acres and live in a 2 story brick home. Been all over this great country and I'll tell you there is no place like West Virginia I'm very blessed and proud to live here. Love these mountains hunting fishing hiking camping whitewater rafting ATV riding. Truly blessed to be a West By God Virginian

Love your videos, looking around America. It is like I see a movie around every corner.

I left there in 88 for Los Angeles. 35 years later, never moved back. Glad i left that poor place.

You (out of state folks) might see this as a run down area, but here’s the reality; WV had high unemployment since the 80’s due to coal being in decline, these people have been here the whole time with no way out. So they’re pretty much stuck with this, it’s home and they’re not ashamed of it. Not wanting a handout as much as a helping hand up. Give ‘em a chance and they’ll work their way out of their economic situation. Solid people!

I love living in my small Ohio town in the heart of trump country. We dont have alot of money but we own our house and our vehicles out right. I love living this simple life

She sounds like life in rural Minnesota. Such a wonderful bunch of people.

Now go through the homeless in Portland and Seattle

The problem with a lot of towns and cities is that they were built up on one thing or another and as times change the town had no other way to prosper. This is why there are several ghost towns out west and in Alaska.

Everyone’s gotta live somewhere. Some people don’t measure success by the size of their house or bank account

My good old friend John told me about this situation from SF & now I really emphasize with these struggle folks. I live in SF too but always love the country music from our heartland. God bless y’all. ❤😊💕

You can cherry-pick all you want, but reality is, I was in Wyoming County this past week for a mountain bike race. Got off the "Coalfields Expressway" and drove around 10 miles to the course by beautiful homes which were well-kept. I was pleasantly surprised considering I've watched your videos of the areas of Mingo/McDowell counties which ALWAYS HAVE BEEN BAD.

Hey Nick, I've got an idea. Why don't you road trip to downtown San Fransisco or LA so we can see the other side of the political spectrum and see how they live. That would be way cool!

45 years ago, my brother sold books door to door in West Virginia. The thing that made the biggest impression on him was that everyone he met was a Democrat and Catholic. Said our mom would fit right in. How times have changed. Even Mom was a hardcore republican when she passed away.

Smart Lady answering tough questions at any age from anywhere.

Hoowee! WV reminds me of NE Missouri, right around Hannibal where I grew up. There, we got limestone quarries, and Universal Atlas, where they make cement. Made me all nostalgic, there.

I can bet you these people are happier than most of the people that want to poke fun about them.

It’s not about being poor, it’s about being FREE!!!!

Born and raised in WV. High school teachers made me hate the state and convinced me that liberalism was good and rural life is bad. I thought that way for a few years but you can't change the shape of a house by painting it. I now love this state and I will never leave.

Imagine how great of a place this would be to live if there were adequate jobs.

Nick, this does remind me of rural parts of PA too. It’s kind of a paradise in a way; there’s mountains and rivers; it is peaceful and quiet and not very expensive to live. I lived in PB County FL for 25 years before going to Altoona PA. Appalachia is a great place to live; not too cold, not too hot. Just right. The area on this video looks a tad old and rough but I think it’s just fine

Enjoy your videos. At the very beginning ot the video its actually Bim, WV in Boone County. I have lived in Boone Co. most of my life. This bridge is about 300 yards from Bo White Castle and her son Derek "Derkie" Castle from the documentary. I grew up about 5 or 6 miles above the bridge in Clinton Camp.

She is exactly right! Thank you

Nothing wrong with true American value

I think this shows that we can’t lean too far left or too far right, or we end up with something like this or the streets skidrow

Very Good Points !!

Wyoming County is where my grandmother was born. Jesse WV. All of my Stewart family is from Wyoming Co. Thank you for posting this video.

They may not have large houses, but the first thing I noticed was how clean and tidy everything looks, even that burned out trailer looks like it's been cleaned somewhat. These are clearly people that still have self-respect and pride in their community.

Looks 10x better than downtown LA

Like a rural WV is the worst place???? Look at California streets!

Faith,family and FREEDOM

Nick, Your guests Mayor Evans and Jima are two of the best guests you have featured on your channel. I may not agree with all of their points and beliefs but they make it very clear what the issues and challenges are. These are honest people trying to make the best of a bad situation. They make perfect sense. I really hope there remains a future for badly impacted small communities, businesses and the residents holding on there. As Mayor Evans stated, it’s all about to blow up again and a start from square one to rebuild a society. Fingers crossed for the future.

These people have the best values in the country! God bless them! I hope something can save West Virginia’s economy, this state deserves so much better

If this area is 'peaceful" how come it is the capital of meth usage ?.

Thank you for your efforts Please do make a difference Show the reality of the failures in govt , it’s happening everywhere

I think I lived here in a former life”lol 😊 looks awesome to me. I’m old fashioned so probably would suit me. Thanks 🙏 for showing me these incredible places I have zero chance of seeing. I truly appreciate. It’s so interesting and so well done! Excellent

And these people will be there to help you when you need it most

You should come to my town in Lincoln County, WV. its not to far away. you can drive for through 4 cities in 15 mins their so small, Hamlin, West Hamlin, Branchland, and Ranger.

My Family on my Dad's side comes from Wyoming County WV. Barkers Ridge. Both McKinney and Shrewsbury come from there.

The mayor seems like he has a good head on his shoulders. Politicians can't solve the problems they are having, the community will have to do it.

My family lives in Wyoming County, ever since I was born I go up here every year, this is the closest to freedom you’ll ever get, very nice people and very quiet, they don’t run the trains anymore through the mountains sadly but it’s still a great history spot to visit to

Keep on doing it. Great job

Spectacular Road Trip series. So enlightening. Keep up the good work.

The folks in West Virginia have not changed their values, despite going from Blue to Red. They are the same people that they've always been. It's the people governing our country that have changed their values and where they believe the country should head. Imagine an automobile being driven by two different people. One drives it east and the other drives it west. Other than it's direction, it hasn't changed at all. It's still the same car. The good people of West Virginia are the same now as they were 30 and 40 years ago. That's a very rare breed. Good for them.

I live in an affluent town in the Northeast, after seeing this I realize that I CLOSELY align my ideals with the people in this small town in W VA !!!

She is a very thoughtful and well spoken woman. I dont share most of her philosophies, but she explains her point of view really well. Shes interesting to listen to, although for myself, living in her world would be rather suffocating.

Nice interview with the Mayor. 👍🏾

Autumn is the best time to revisit WV. The leaves and weather makes it worth the trip.

Love you all West Virginians people ! God bless you all

I absolutely love your videos. Thank you so much for visiting these fascinating places (that I'd never go to )

I am from West Virginia, and I learned to talk to Jesus in a little church, in a holler by a creek. Thank God I met Jesus there. I now live in a big, big city, and I still talk to my Jesus daily… so here, or there, Jesus is the best.

I was born and raised in Prince Georges county Maryland just outside of DC. PG county holds the distinction of having the most affluent black population of any other county in the US. As a minority there (white middle class) I learned to love folks of all colors and ethnic backgrounds. I moved to WV in 1988 and have travelled most of the state and met her people. There’s no place I’d rather live. I’ve traveled to many places around the U.S. The folks in Alabama’s poor black trailer parks mostly vote democrat. Most of those folks are willing to offer a stranger a bottle of water just like the poor white republicans in Appalachia. I’m not certain what audience you’re trying to appeal to but I guess a click is a click for you. Folks are folks and to speak so disparagingly about people, their neighborhoods, and their station in life, is quite arrogant. I suspect that many of the folks that you talk to, while on your journey to put folks down and get subscribers, would be the first to come to your aid if needed. Just like the other “hicks” among these parts, all I can say is Bless your heart sir.

Works for me. I am in NYC and it's a MASSIVE CHIT HOLE. I would have no problem living there in WV.

Opening of the video is in Boone County. That is Wharton Missionary Baptist Church.

We’re is the tooling hills it was like and interstate and it had some high mountains that u had to drive over them

But it seems there are many homeless living on the streets here in Santa Barbara, one of the richest cities in the US. I wonder if the folks living in trailers there aren't more content. At least they're warm and dry. It's been unseasonably cold and wet here.

One of my favorite videos from you, Nick. I was really moved by Jima and Mayor Tom Evans and what they shared. God bless them and the people of Wyoming County.

I'm from West Virginia and I think the fella you interviewed summed up everything everyone needs to know about us at the 34:41 mark. We'll survive.

Its all about prespectice, many people take pride in where they live no matter the environment

I know a few people who actually have alot of money but chose to live like that. Perfect cover. I've also seen them look bad on the outside but beautiful on the inside. Moral to the story don't always believe what u see because u may not be seeing the big picture

I like West Virgina. Some of the nicest people I have ever worked with live in Mobile Homes. They also attend church. Having a fancy house or car doesn't make you happy in the long haul. Just ask the Mercedes lady I kit on the exit ramp today. She definitely was not happy I hit her.

Great. Wonderful video.

West virginia looks beautiful. Thank you for posting your videos, i wouldnt be able to see.

I was born in West Virginia and I felt disbelief bordering on sadness to see the way people live there. They say democratic party is not the same. Well neither is the Republican party. It does seem to me that if our government helped small towns establish one or two small businesses in the most needful areas, it might REALLY make it a difference. We could make flip flops and sandals, work and winter gloves, chewing gum and small candies. Sweat shirts and hoodies....you think of a few and please post dental training schools and provide employment and care for locals. Wood carving.use coal to provide energy for THOSE businesses. Build solar panels. Start carpentry programs and join with some group MAYBE habitat for humanity. SUPPORT head start while avoiding politically charged pre schooling . Weaving blankets and rugs. Make socks. Why must america buy these things from China?? We used to produce many PRODUCTS not connected to heavy industry. These people in this state WANT TO WORK.

Go to San Francisco and see how far you make it or east St. Louis Illinois

I’d like to see you drive-through areas of both more Detroit New Jersey, New York City neighborhoods in Pittsburgh Atlanta and a host of other inner cities throughout the country Chicago, etc.

I absolutely appreciate that mayor's honesty. He said "When our presidential candidates come down to Donald Trump and Joe Biden, we're in trouble".