I think Dean’s comments betrayed a certain amount of ignorance. I live in a large Southern city, and we have TONS of pickups, many with gun racks in the window, but MOST of them DON’T have confederate flag decals anywhere on them. Many do, but MOST don’t.
The ones who don’t know what the Confederate flag means to a lot of people, and they DON’T like it.
Getting THOSE Southern voters will not require an appeal to racism. Simple, generic expressions of respect for “traditional Southern values and lifestyles” coupled with pointing out how much better for the non-wealthy the Democratic approach to the economy is.
Also, as pointed out earlier, some recognition of the role that illegal immigration plays in making things economically tough for poor whites would be a VERY good idea.
The Repubs don’t have the South just because they’re willing to bend over for racism and pander to the tevee preacher crowd. They have it because the Dems haven’t offered middle class and poor Southerners ANYTHING. Sure, their economic policies are better for poor Southerners than the Repubs, but damn, OFFER it to the Southerners. And offer some respect as well. There are quite a few states in the South that would swing Dem with only a few thousand votes. Why the hell not pick up those votes?