More than four decades ago outside this small Appalachian town, President Johnson began his War on Poverty. In the 1980s, President Reagan scoffed that poverty had won the war.
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) tried to position himself somewhere between Johnson and Reagan while campaigning here Wednesday, styling himself as a compassionate conservative but emphasizing his crusade against "wasteful" government spending.
"I wouldn't be back here today if government had fulfilled the promises that Lyndon Johnson made 44 years ago," McCain told reporters as his campaign bus rolled through the green hills of eastern Kentucky. "The moral of the story is -- government isn't always the answer."
McCain said he hoped his plans for tax cuts and expanding high-speed Internet in rural areas could offer a new path for fighting poverty in places such as Inez. The community is the county seat of Martin County, where 46% of adults haven't finished high school, the median household income is less than $22,800 and 30.5% of the population lives below the poverty level, according to census figures.
The several hundred people who lined Inez's main street, a thoroughfare of mostly closed shops, warmly received McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee.
During a town-hall-style meeting in the courthouse, McCain said Johnson had "the very best of intentions" with his 1964 poverty campaign, but added that government "can't create good and lasting jobs" or "buy you a house or send all your kids to college."
"You've never wanted government to make your living for you," McCain said. "You just expect us to show a decent concern for your hard work and initiative, and do what we can . . . to help make sure you have opportunities to prosper from your labor."
A centerpiece of McCain's speech was an economic initiative that would give tax write-offs to companies that offered high-speed Internet access to low-income people. In towns where businesses won't offer that aid, he said, the government would make government-backed loans or low-interest bonds available.
Otherwise, the third day of McCain's tour of America's "forgotten places" seemed largely symbolic.
When a reporter asked what could be done about healthcare coverage in Appalachia, as well as the high rates of diabetes, obesity and cancer, McCain said his administration would emphasize "wellness and fitness."
