My theory as someone from Appalachia is that she’s a left leaning centrist trying to bring class consciousness back to the coal mining areas (y’know, where they shot their bosses in literal battles to establish worker unions previously), but she also depends on those local economies to get resources to do this and has to play both sides.

She’s made it her life’s mission to improve the education and literacy rate of the region and has to appear homey and down to earth to the folks living in the south as she doesn’t want to compromise her image. She says things in a vague enough way to not be accused of being a dirty lefty commie (their words, not mine).

I don’t think you deserve pushback, just offering an alternative explanation.