Reply #29: As a Southerner...

[Firespirit]

I agree that the notion that we must have a Southern Democrat is absurd. It seems to be based on the premise that because our last two Democratic Presidents were Southerners, and Gore won the popular vote in 2000, we can't win unless we run one.

It's ridiculous.

The only part of the country that the candidate's native region might really matter to, is the South itself. And it's time for the "let's dump gobs of money into deep red states" types to realize that we're not going to win the Bible Belt South. It's a difference in culture and a difference in ideology. The fundie segment of the population is still thriving there, and they still get worked up over the same old hate-based "issues." That is the base of the Southern Republican Party. They'll vote GOP as long as the GOP makes national issues of their various hatreds.

However, a few Southern states might be reachable. Florida is possible if we can get a big enough lead to counter the corrupt elections problem, Virginia might be possible in years to come, and I've heard that Arkansas might be in play again, but I don't see any other state as viable for us in the near future.

This is going to sound really elitist, and maybe it is, but the problem is that a majority of Southerners just don't think the way we do. Even in Southern states where Bush has a net disapproval, people haven't changed their political ideologies. They're just disgruntled with him and this Congress, not with right-wing ideology itself, and would vote for a new, "untarnished" Republican before they would vote for any Democrat.