Why "ironically"? The "Party of Lincoln" freed the slaves. The Democrats had wanted to keep African-Americans enslaved.
Maybe the "irony" is that very few Blacks actually could vote, because most of them lived in Democrat-controlled Southern states that denied them basic rights.
What you're also missing is the strong populist strain in Southern politics that, until civil rights became an issue, inclined them to support the Democrats.
So let me get this straight - you are actually making an argumant that today, in 2014, the North and West coast are more Conservative than the South and Mid West?
Why lump the Midwest in with the South? What side were they on in the war anyway?
It's ironic that in the South up to the "modern" era blacks voted Republican and whites voted Democrat and the two have switch. Most would agree that there is irony in that.
Ge lumps in the Midwest because he got schooled by NS on that point a while back LOL ;’)