re: Why was coal country still democratic well into the 1990s and early 2000s?

I'm going to guess it's like the Brexit vote.

The people who voted to leave the European Union were the people who had to live close to the muslims. Scotland and Northern Ireland predominately voted to stay. They didn't have to feel the pain of being in the EU. Same with coal country. All the same type of people doing the same type of thing so they don't notice the effects much.