Can Hillary or Obama win a single southern state in 2008?

Question

Neither Gore nor Kerry carried a southern state during the 2000
and 2004 presidential elections. To my knowledge, no candidate has won the presidency by losing every southern state.

Answer 1

I doubt it, and now a Hillary - Obama ticket is being proposed which would make it even harder.

Answer 2

I am not Democrat or Republican. I have voted for both parties. ( I feel like I should HAVE to say this in the yahoo politics forum since it seems everyone that disagrees with you calls you one or the other).

I also live in the South... There is a very good chance that a Democrat will win more than one state in the South. I live in Texas and the majority of people that I work with and socialize do not like this administration (they voted for it but are very disappointed with it... and Bush is from Texas!)... politics are discussed a lot here and I can tell you that a lot of people do not want more of the same... now, Texas will probably elect a Republican but I don't know... but I'll tell you that I am very surprised by how much Texans have disowned this president... Bush has done a LOT of damage to the GOP. Southerners are just as capable of changing parties as anyone else (look at a lot of districts in the 2006 Congressional elections; go further and look at the break of the "Dixiecrats" after Johnson forced civil rights)... this could be a very rough election for the GOP.

Answer 3

Hillary could potentially carry Arkansas, because of the family ties. However, I'm inclined to believe that they will both struggle to find any ground in the South.

You've got to go back a ways, but Calvin Coolidge won re-election in 1924 without winning any southern states. Also, none of the winning candidates between 1880 and 1908 won any southern states. Between Lincoln also won the presidency without winning any southern states. His presidency was when the southern states were defined, so including him, there have been 8 presidents elected, or vice presidents ascended to the presidency, office without winning all of the southern states.

Answer 4

Normally you need a balanced ticket. There are key states that must be won, and a lot of states are just afterthoughts. Like Wyoming. Their electoral votes are not needed for a Democratic presidential win. Florida is a must-win state, though. We'll see how it goes this time, since Gore nearly took it from Bush (well, he really did, but that's water under the bridge now). Point is, Florida is hardly out of bounds for a Democrat victory. Do you need Alabama if you have Florida? No.

However, I think you'll find that there are a lot of people who will welcome a change from the current way the country is going, particularly with the war in Iraq. I wouldn't take everything for granted in this election.

Well, I understand that people need to see us out of Iraq in some form. If the people keep voting for people that will keep us in Iraq, then they only have themselves to blame for the way the country goes. Same with now. I love how the American people will go whining to the media about how the Congress and the President are so bad. Guess who put these people in there?

It's just like a computer system, people. Garbage in...garbage out. These are the people you put into power. This is the best that we have to offer. You won't try something new. You won't try something that might be against your normally tightly held beliefs, especially when it comes to issues that have religious overtones. God forbid.

The government doesn't suck. The People Suck. Remember that.

Answer 5

Add up all their votes and yes,they could win A southern state.

Answer 6

Of course it's possible. I bet Florida goes democrat in 2008. There are also chances of getting New Mexico.

Answer 7

They could. There are a lot of Blacks in the South, and Jesse Jackson will probably order them to vote for whoever gets the Democrat nomination.

Answer 8

(i fear how this will be perceived ... but)

if black people, and low income people get out and vote the south may be decidedly Obama and Hillary

... less that 40% of southern citizens vote, so thats a big if

Answer 9

The Republican Party has been in the process of making themselves into a regional party that appeals ONLY to the South. Can you win with ONLY the South?

Answer 10

i would not be surprised if they carry the majority of the southern states -- the reps are so fed up with bush that they might switch parties just for spite.