# Southern states used to only have one political party?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/southern-states-used-to-only-have-one-political-party/757072>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 11, 2016, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/southern-states-used-to-only-have-one-political-party/757072 "2016-06-11T01:03:36Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\
**Post date:** [June 11, 2016, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/southern-states-used-to-only-have-one-political-party/757072/21 "2016-06-11T18:18:56Z")

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Is it appropriate to use the past tense when speaking of Southern states’ single-partyness?

Here’s a factoid that may startle:  
[ul][li] In the 1940 Presidential election, Mississippi had by far the most lopsided vote of any state. 96% of Mississippian voters voted for the Democrat.[/li][li] In the 1944 Presidential election, Mississippi had by far the most lopsided vote of any state. 94% of Mississippian voters voted for the Democrat.[/li][li] In the 1964 Presidential election, Mississippi had by far the most lopsided vote of any state. 87% of Mississippian voters voted for the Republican. (That Republican lost in a landslide, winning only five Southern states and, barely, his home state.)[/li][li] In the 1972 Presidential election, Mississippi had by far the most lopsided vote of any state. 78% of Mississippian voters voted for the Republican.[/li][/ul]

Especially disconcerting is that Mississippi votes for the candidate _less_ likely to support black civil rights despite that _Mississippi has the highest portion of blacks of any state._

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