The major standouts on that map (based on ahemexit polls) are HI and RI, neither of which seems like a bastion of conservative Democratism
This was less due to the Democrats not voting for Kerry and more due to the Republicans
really voting (as in, 98-99%) for Bush.
Or there are tons of folks in the Bush states that self-identify as Democrats (in the mold of FDR, Truman, JFK etc.) but can't bring themselves to vote for the French contingent of the Democrat Party (Kerry, Dean, etc.). As these self-identifications continue to change, look for GOP candidates to pick up more and more offices in state legislative and local elections.
Republicans are already winning two-to-one landslides in states like Oklahoma, where Democrats have a significant registration advantage. However, on the local level, there is no sign of state legislative elections going over due to the "French contingent." Why do you believe that this will hurt moderate, local Democratic parties, when it hasn't really yet?
Actually, Republicans just slightly outnumber Democrats in Oklahoma, at least according to the CNN exit poll.
There are indeed, however, a number of Southern (or close to Southern) states in which the Democrats do outnumber the Republicans. West Virginia is the biggest example. Louisiana, Arkansas, and Kentucky are others. All four were twice carried by Clinton, a moderate Southern Democrat, I might add.
This would be interesting, if I trusted CNN exit polls.
I suppose there is that, but it's not as if we've got anything else.