Why is it that the southerners support Bush, more so then the rest of the USA?

Question

It can't just be because Bush comes from Texas? Can it?

Answer 1

His campaign did a good job appropriating middle class American values. He carried not only the South but also the Midwest and most of the West. The fact that the Republican campaign was cynical BS sunk in soon after the 2d election.

Also, even though I voted for him, Kerry made some major blunders.

PS H. Bush was born in Massachusetts. W. Bush was born and educated in Connecticut and even though the Bush family had a home in Texas and this benighted state actually elected Dubya as governor, he really isn't much of a Texan.

As for him being from Texas [actually, WBush was born in Connecticut and educated mostly in the northeast], that only works in Texas. The South went strongly for Bush in 2000 despite Gore being from Tennessee, which he didn't carry.

Answer 2

1) The Southern states are v. Evangelical and Conservative Christian and Bush plays their hymns. Bush tells them he won't allow gays to get married and this somehow makes them very happy. It is a fun fact that Mass. a very blue state, the first state to allow gay marriage, has the lowest divorce rate. This is not because they let gays get married. It is a) because they have more Catholics and b) the age at first marriage is later in Massachusetts than it is down south.
2) the S. is very pro-national defense and Bush and Rummy and Rove managed to convince them that Bush who ran out on his National Guard commitment, would be better at Defense than Kerry who has 3 purple hearts from going to the real war.
3) Whatthefuck- they eat squirrel and grits down there, they will swallow anything. No that's not nice. But they do have less education.
4) Racism.

Answer 3

No it goes deeper than that. One might look to the political and civil differences of the English Civil War in the 1640s on through to the Revolutionary War and the American Civil War to explain the political, religious and social elements that make up Southern US Society. One key element running throughout is the issue of sovereignty, religious affiliation, and how the different geographic regions felt about a combined church/state system of government.
In England you had Parliamentarians vs. a Monarchy, High Episcopal Church organization vs Low Church Anglican decentralized sects, and the question of whether a European style Catholic monarchy preferred by Charles and James the first and second vs a more tolerant stance and no state religion.
In America, The Southern States tended to be a confused pattern of Tory and Revolutionary allegiance, but as the New England states tended to look back across the Atlantic, the Southern states tended to be more inclined towards Westward expansion, less involved in maritime commerce and more agricultural in nature - this would have huge implications for a slave holding plantation economy. States like Maryland having more of a connection to the English Catholic families like the Crosslands had more in common with the former Cavaliers in England and much of this identity prevailed in the Southern States. As the nation headed towards a Civil War, the Pro War, ( 1812 ands 1845 )Pro Westward Expansion , Pro Slavery, aristocracy inclined South found its self in opposition to a more Whig, Anti War, anti slavery, maritime and industrial North.
Religiously the southerners tended to be more supportive of a bishop led, episcopal High Church Protestantism, much like the Stuart led Royalists during the English Civil War.
I would argue that Bush supporters tend to have more philosophically in common with the Southern Democrats of the Post Bellum South,( These are the Republicans of today ) .
Most of the 19th C presidents leading up to the Civil War were from the South. They tend towards racism, ( most of the lynchings of as recent as 2 generations ago happened in the southern states ) , have an Episcopal evangelistic take on Protestantism, and find Bush's type of a non accountable, monarchy something comfortable and familiar, going back to the Southern Aristocracy of the Ante Bellum era. Add a bit of xenophobia,
jingoism and a class orientated take on society and you have some of the reasons why this region responds so well to someone like Bush. As for Texas, one can argue that since Reconstruction this state has always has a political and social mean streak, as evidenced by its love affair with capitol punishment AND the history of land acquisition.
Ever since the beginning of the first settlements Texas has had an extractive economy coming from the exploitation of natural resources, as a self styled " oil man" Bush has a label a lot of Texans identify and resonate to. Texans tend to like / prefer millionaires from political and industrial dynasties. Bush seems to fit into this category too. He is a reflection of the politically involved and wealthy vested interests in Texas.
Personally I can't fathom why he has even as much support today as he does... But for the southern US and Texas, its not surprising. Even so, this so-called Texan is an eastern seaboard, Yale ( " educated ? " ) , Skull and Bones elitist disguised as a Texan, that panders to the worst in us.
A good con artist can fool practically anyone.

Answer 4

Bush puts on this regular guy persona, like the way he pronounces -ing words walkin', talkin', etc. even though he comes from a wealthy family and went to New England prep schools and then Yale. I think that and the way he stumbles verbally anytime he goes off-script make people in the south feel like he is one of them.

Answer 5

They are wising up slowly.....but as the other people have said here, I don't think where Bush is from has much to do with it.
Southerners are typically extreme Christian church goers and believe in supporting the Pres. without much of an argument.
At least that's what I've observed from even some of my family members.

Answer 6

Don't you DARE slander my state like that! Bush was born in Massachusetts, not in Texas. He's a blueblood plastic cowboy. A good chunk of Southerners have finally realized what a screwup the man is, and they're moving away from blind support of politicians, thankfully. Have YOU stopped thinking like a lemming, voting straight ticket without researching candidates' views on issues?

Answer 7

No. It's cuz we are smarter then y'all Yankees !

Seriously, The President is a solid Christian Man, and Southerners, both Democrat, and Republicans respect that. You'll find he is still very well supported here !

Answer 8

Southerners are smarter than the rest of the US.

Answer 9

Because God told them to, or at least that's what the preachers tell them.

Answer 10

People from the South typically are more conservative and traditional in their values.

President Bush has those values.