West Virginia Public Broadcasting Published

Appalachia, meet California

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If you really listen, we sound like two different countries: Red America and Blue America. Then again, most of us are not listening. Heading into the midterms KCRW and WVPB are teaming up to try to change that.

“Red State, Blue State” is a weekly conversation between Californians and West Virginians about the issues that divide us.

Most Californians want to dump Trump. Many West Virginians relish riding the Trump Train. But what is beyond the political platitudes? The current political drama in Washington is just the latest symptom of our red-blue divide.

So, how do Californians and Appalachians feel about each other? We go there.

“Red state” host of West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s podcast Us & Them, Trey Kay, spoke with his cousin Hollis Jones, a mechanic, about his take on the Golden State. And “blue state” host Chery Glaser talked with Connie Hoy, who grew up in the Mountain State but left years ago, and lived in Northern California for quite some time.

We’d like to know what your thoughts are: