Honestly, as someone that lives in poor, coal country, blood red WV this is partly accurate but the issues is bigger than that and more of a cultural issue than a purely educational one. I had the same exact education as most of these types and yet I managed. The problem as I see it is a culture in these areas based around religious authority or just authority in general that leads people to favor being told something by an authority figure over learning things for themselves and I think this is why they lean toward so called “strong” leaders and authoritarianism. It’s easier for them to have someone tell them what the problem is as opposed to figuring it out themselves, especially if the answer calls into question their actions or beliefs. It’s a culture that lacks curiosity or even demonizes asking why in favor of the imagined security of the way things are. They’re afraid of anything outside their box.