Can Terry McAuliffe, Roy Cooper, and John Bel Edwards reinvigorate Southern Dems

[Suburbia]

They are the three Southern Democratic governors in the post-Obama era. Can they mobilize by teaching Democrats how to win Southern governor seats?

[ApatheticAustrian]

virginia is not southern in that classical sense anymore and roy cooper/JBE won cause their opponents shot themselves into the foot.

if the latter 2 are able to get re-elected we can talk, imho.

[publicunofficial]

Terry McAuliffe lol no

And JBE and Cooper can only help their own states. If Democrats want to compete in the south, they should really contest Georgia's open seat. The runoff bites them, there is a clear path to victory by getting Obama's numbers in the rural black areas and Clinton's numbers in Atlanta's suburbs.

[Kingpoleon]

Terry McAuliffe lol no

And JBE and Cooper can only help their own states. If Democrats want to compete in the south, they should really contest Georgia's open seat. The runoff bites them, there is a clear path to victory by getting Obama's numbers in the rural black areas and Clinton's numbers in Atlanta's suburbs.

The Democrats have a huge bench in Georgia: Jason Carter, Michelle Nunn, David Adelman, Roy Barnes, Mark Taylor, Thurbert Baker, Cathy Cox, and John Barrow. That's not even mentioning state legislators and Kasim Reed.

[Figueira]

I think the Democrats need to start actually running solid candidates in states like TN, AL, MS, etc., and campaign as a "check" on the legislatures as sort of an inverse Charlie Baker.

[Nyvin]

"The South" really isn't a monolithic grouping anymore.   The states on the south Atlantic are trending MUCH differently from the states in the Mississippi/Appalachia areas.   

I don't really think of JBE as much more than an anti-establishment vote really.   That plus the Louisiana economy got really messed up under Jindal.

[ApatheticAustrian]

the crazy thing wasn't that JBE won, the crazy thing was that brownback didn't lose.

[Maxwell]

John Bel might invigorate Louisiana Democrats, but it probably won't cross borders.

I could see a Democrat winning the Governorship in Georgia or Florida in 2018, but the other southron states i just don't see it - Alabama is too far gone at this point, South Carolina has a strong local party and the potential of either Trey Gowdy or Tim Scott running which makes it an automatic DOA, Tennessee is lol Tennessee.

And even in Florida and Georgia, both Governors potentially would look way different than John Bel Edwards - Georgia's potential Democrat Gov would be appealing to college educated whites and olds (i.e. Michelle Nunn or Jason Carter) while I suspect the next Democrat Governor of Florida is going to try to lower the margins in Northern and Central Florida while sweeping Southron Florida (I suspect John Morgan is the candidate to do that, or if he doesn't opt to do it, Gwen Graham).

[smoltchanov]

John Bel might invigorate Louisiana Democrats, but it probably won't cross borders.

I could see a Democrat winning the Governorship in Georgia or Florida in 2018, but the other southron states i just don't see it - Alabama is too far gone at this point, South Carolina has a strong local party and the potential of either Trey Gowdy or Tim Scott running which makes it an automatic DOA, Tennessee is lol Tennessee.

And even in Florida and Georgia, both Governors potentially would look way different than John Bel Edwards - Georgia's potential Democrat Gov would be appealing to college educated whites and olds (i.e. Michelle Nunn or Jason Carter) while I suspect the next Democrat Governor of Florida is going to try to lower the margins in Northern and Central Florida while sweeping Southron Florida (I suspect John Morgan is the candidate to do that, or if he doesn't opt to do it, Gwen Graham).

+1. When i looked at presidential numbers in Florida's Panhandle, for example - the were atrocious. In fact - remove 3 westernmost counties - and Clinton wins. 10% in Holmes (with all talk about racism in this very conservative, but - formerly Democratic, county it's 5-6% below Obama's level), less then 20 - in Liberty (with 75% Democratic registration and still mostly Democratic on county government level) - again about 8% below Obama. IF Democrats will lose so much there - no margins from Dade, Broward and Orange will save them...

[BuckeyeNut]

John Bel might invigorate Louisiana Democrats, but it probably won't cross borders.

I could see a Democrat winning the Governorship in Georgia or Florida in 2018, but the other southron states i just don't see it - Alabama is too far gone at this point, South Carolina has a strong local party and the potential of either Trey Gowdy or Tim Scott running which makes it an automatic DOA, Tennessee is lol Tennessee.

And even in Florida and Georgia, both Governors potentially would look way different than John Bel Edwards - Georgia's potential Democrat Gov would be appealing to college educated whites and olds (i.e. Michelle Nunn or Jason Carter) while I suspect the next Democrat Governor of Florida is going to try to lower the margins in Northern and Central Florida while sweeping Southron Florida (I suspect John Morgan is the candidate to do that, or if he doesn't opt to do it, Gwen Graham).

+2

Beebe is a much better role model than McAuliffe and Cooper. Edwards' future is up in the air. Trump midterm-ish might help him. But only time will tell.

[Mr. Smith]

McAuliffe is headed the way of McDonnell I'm afraid.

Hold the phone on Cooper, that's not set in stone and the legislature might well be that unhinged.


So that leaves Edwards, best he can do is maybe slow a non-NE Kennedy down on the way to the Senate and keep Campbell competitive.

[Miles]

As disappointed as I was with much of this election, I'm so happy all three southern states I've lived in will have Democratic Governors!

[coloradocowboi]

Terry McAuliffe lol no

[Horsemask]

John Bel might invigorate Louisiana Democrats, but it probably won't cross borders.

I could see a Democrat winning the Governorship in Georgia or Florida in 2018, but the other southron states i just don't see it - Alabama is too far gone at this point, South Carolina has a strong local party and the potential of either Trey Gowdy or Tim Scott running which makes it an automatic DOA, Tennessee is lol Tennessee.

And even in Florida and Georgia, both Governors potentially would look way different than John Bel Edwards - Georgia's potential Democrat Gov would be appealing to college educated whites and olds (i.e. Michelle Nunn or Jason Carter) while I suspect the next Democrat Governor of Florida is going to try to lower the margins in Northern and Central Florida while sweeping Southron Florida (I suspect John Morgan is the candidate to do that, or if he doesn't opt to do it, Gwen Graham).

Well said. I agree with everything here.