He's definitely going to retire into the obscurity of a former Senator. So you're right, Joe. But I wish it were different. A guy who was a successful mayor (credited by some with saving Cleveland), an excellent governor and a thoughtful senator deserves to be considered relevant. Alas, in our culture, holding office is everything. Unless you are a former President, being a "former anything else" assigns you to the scrap heap.
Can someone explain to me then why the hell the traditional media give so much of their precious time and space to former nobodies like Liz Cheney and John Bolton?
As for the Southerners, I think Andrew Sullivan nailed it with the following quote:
"The South is a very difficult base to manage. Like a cuckoo, it tends to kick other allies out of the nest, be it a Democratic nest in the past or the Republican nest now."http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2006/05/the_south_vs_th.html 
