Boss Hogg was a corrupt politician and a main character. I don’t remember much beyond that. But my memory is that the Duke Boys were escaping persecution from local state actors.
Side note: I was a little kid and my friends in pre-school thought the car could fly, which broke my brain when I couldn’t articulate that it jumped.
I really loved this show when I was a kid. Uncle Jesse was my favorite. But as an adult, I don’t think I could get past the whole “General Lee” thing and the Confederate flag.