What's with states like OK and LA?

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Most people in the South are Democrats... and a lot of them don't vote in national elections... but do sometimes at state and local level (example: the recent Lousiana gubernational election).
On the other hand a lot of them vote Democrat the further down the "political tree" while usually backing Republicans for federal offices (like Oklahoma)

It's also usually a family tradition to be a Democrat in the South (except in a few counties in each state where it's traditional to be a Republican), usually dating back to the Civil War.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

The big problem the Dems have in the South is that a lot of natural Democrats in rural areas don't vote at all... they seem to be put off by wedge issues.
Most of them don't vote GOP... they just don't vote.
When they do (even in small amounts) they often swing the election to the Dems; see the (fairly) recent gubernational elections in Virginia and Lousiana.
What the Dems have got to do is concentrate on economic issues and ignore social issues, whilst taking moderate positions on them.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Most Populist Democrats in the South don't vote at all... that's the problem...

[Filuwaúrdjan]

No they don't.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Gusaf, the reason why most Southerners goes back to the Civil War.
Most Southern Democrats are socially conservative, but on economic issues are social democrats.

BTW neither Blanco or Jindal ran on "national" platforms.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

The Western farm states are nothing like the South.
Look at some of Dave's maps...

And besides without the South, the House Democrats would be screwed.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Opebo... most Southern voters are Democrats... especially in rural areas.
But a lot don't usually vote and a lot vote on social issues.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Not a lot. A few more senior southerners in the Democratic party, a few more senior yankee's in the GOP.
Oh and Civil Rights of course...

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Suburbs in the South are very conservative, but they are a lost cause anyway.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

The reason why the suburbs are a lost cause is because they are the only parts of the South where the GOP leads voter registration... in other words the problem in the suburbs is not that our voters are not voting (which is the problem in rural areas) or that they are ticket-splitters (which also happens a lot in rural areas) but that they are not our voters *at all*...
Which is why the redistricting in GA last time was so mindlessly stupid...

[Filuwaúrdjan]

The unemployed should be helped by the Government (Federal, State and Local) to get back to work in Good Jobs. Dealing with longterm unemployment (which often blights entire regions) should be high on any governments list of priorities.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

By a "good job" I mean something that pays the bills and isn't soul destroying.
And preferably not a menial job in the service sector...