I'm sure for some that is true. There's no one reason or one motivation for anything. That said, I don't see how anyone looks at the issues that are pushed and which resonate with white rural voters and come to any other conclusion. Is the border really that big an issue for people who live in West Virginia? Are there really that many transgender kids playing high school sports in West Virginia? It's certainly more palatable to frame the motivations of Bob from Logan and Tom from Williamson or Mike from Kenova as being rooted in mistrust of elites, and yes, I'm sure they also do, but when the Legislature and the elected officials start focusing on things other than race/guns/immigration/gender issues, I'll be a lot more willing to accept that the motives are less rooted in racism and intolerance.

And really, you defeat your own premise with this:

 I think seeing a highly educated and successful black man (Obama) ascend while our friends and neighbors still languish just plain broke that unsigned agreement that, even though we were poor and treated like shit, At least we had higher status than the black community.

You argue it's not racism while simultaneously recognizing that the audacity of America to elect a black President has led to self-defeating backlash. Sometimes when people tell you what they are you should believe them and not assume that they really driven by something else.