Why the importance of a "Southern Strategy" for the Dems next time around?

Great Debates
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Polycarp, I agree with. Some of the most progressive or liberal or radical policitians in US history came from the South.

But this was back in the days when the yellow dog Democrats were a large part of voters. There were very few Republicans, and winning the Democratic nomination was equivalent to winning the general election. Once you became the incumbant, you had great influence in the nominating/primary election process.

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So then, putting the pieces together–it does make sense for the Dems to make an effort in the South: they (Southerners) are really not all that “conservative” in many respects, and centrist Dems like Carter and Clinton were able to make inroads there.

Of course, it also makes sense for Goppers to go after the Pataki/Giulliani crowd in New York: they (New Yorkers) are really not all that “liberal” in many respects, and moderate Republicans like the aforesaid (as well as Nixon and, I think, Ford) were able to make inroads there.

Hmm. I’m not trying to be difficult, really I’m not.

Could it be something like this?— It’s just too difficult to imagine a Republican winning the nomination (and subsequently uniting the party and forestalling a 3rd partry run) without being credibly and expressly pro-life; yet that position is a deal-breaker for non-Republicans who might otherwise be reachable. (It seems true in California: you cannot win here–against a more liberal alternative-- without being in favor of what amounts to abortion-on-demand.)

On the other hand, it IS possible to fudge one’s pro-choice creds just a little bit and win the Demo nomination without utterly splitting the party. For example, the candidate might be allowed to favor returning a degree of late-term regulation to the states.

So the advice is going to the NON-hopeless cause.

(Then again, I have to wonder if symmetry is restored by some other issue, like gun regulation. Yet for every issue that comes to mind, it seems the right-leaning Southern middle is a little more “hair-trigger” than its left-leaning non-Southern counterpart. Why would that be, I wonder…?)