Democrats in south?

Question

I was just wondering how the democrats plan to win over the southern states especially the bible belt. There are many things like abortion, gay marriage, etc. that probably won't fly real well there.

Answer 1

In order for Democrats to win over the southern states, they would have to appeal to people who normally don't vote. Minorities and young people... Clinton was a highly successful candidate because he appealed to the young people and to minorities who then turned out and voted for him en masse. These groups normally don't vote at all and are usually overlooked.

Gore could have won by a landslide in 2000 but he backed off from Clinton who is a beloved president in minority/young circles and so he did not get the minority/young vote.

Answer 2

Democrats started losing the south during the integration movement. The south was always historically democratic until the mid 70's. That's what the term Solid South means. It meant that the south was solidly Democratic. But the Democratic party factionalized in the mid 60's over integration.

Many Democratic leaders in the South were Klu Klux Klan members. And anti segregationist democrats such as George Wallace and Ross Barnett did a lot to hurt Democratic Party loyalty way back then.

Abortion, gay marriage and other issues like that which won't fly in the south won't fly in the Midwest or east coast, either.

I kind of get a little tired of people calling the South the Bible Belt, because there is no more or no less organized religion there than there is anywhere else. I think Ohio has more religion there than the South.

To complicate matters, the whole integration movement started in churches. It was the burning of black churches in Mississippi and Georgia that led to the call for integration. And most of the Klu Klux Klan membership who burned those churches down were Democrats. It was John Kennedy who ordered the FBI to investigate the church burnings which led to Mississippi Freedom Summer, which led to mass black voter registration drives which led to the murders of Mickey Schwerner, James Chaney and Andrew Goodman.

I think that is why the South turned Republican.

I would suggest that the Democratic Party drop the abortion issue, the gay marriage issue and the pious sanctimony of "It takes a village" and get on with the real issues that are dividing this country.

I also get a little tired of the northern democrats portraying the southern democrats as being inbred pinheads and religious wackos who drive pick up trucks and carry gun racks on the backs of their vehicles. We need someone who can do a blue collar comedy tour on the north. There are truly more blue collar workers in the north than there are in the south.

That is what Ann Coulter is really good for.

Answer 3

well... Presidential... if you look at the electoral college from the last two elections... you don't have to have the south... provided you get swing states like Florida and Ohio...

But another issue is... not every democrat is the same and some don't support those issues... Like John Edwards, who is from the south and thinks gay marriage is a state issue (which in democratic terms basically means he doesn't like it)... and Democrat or Republican, people in the south do like southern boys over "Yankees," much like Clinton over Dole...

And if the Republicans nominate some of the top current "leaders" in the presidential race, like McCain and Giuliani, they don't have the traditional values that you said... I think both waver on abortion and Giuliani is for gay marriage the last time I looked...

So, it's a long way away, but with the right nominations... the Republican party could hurt themselves on the very issues you mentioned... there does not appear, to me at least, to be a viable Republican candidate that supports the issues you described...

Answer 4

If you remember you history, the south use to be a big democrat strong hold because the dems were the ones who put into effect all of the old "Jim crow" law that were designed to oppress black people. Now that the south has changed for the better, the dems are no longer guaranteed victories except in now predominately black areas which is ironic since it was the dems who have the history of holding them back.

Answer 5

The Democrats do not speak the language of the south. It was the Republicans in the south who were for integration. The Democrats lost the south when the embraced the hippie agenda of the 60's.

Answer 6

i am a democrat in Texas and sometimes it feels hopeless because many times our vote doesn't count because of the current laws in place. I believe every vote should be counted and shouldn't go by percentages. I voted for Kerry, but of course it was thrown out because this is a Republican state. I am currently spreading the word to my fellow Texans this " Bush Route" is not the way to go in 2008.
Go Texas Democrats! Go MAVS!

Answer 7

The South should once again be removed from the rest of America.. These people are too dim and backward to make a proper contribution to society as a whole.

Answer 8

They don't seem to be planning to win, because they seem to be ignoring the will of the voters in those areas. It seems like they would try to represent their would-be constituents' collective will if they really wanted to win. It's common sense, but the party is too stubborn to comply with the will of the voters.

Answer 9

they wont.

Democrats suck.

Democratic presidents have always sucked.