Actually, if Lincoln were alive today, he'd most probably be a Democrat, given that he was a big government type who believed that the coercive power of the central government should be used to force the states into bending to the federal will. No in the South signed onto the Republican Party because of a new-found love of Abraham Lincoln, a distaste for their heritage or anything else. It was because the Republican Party was percieved as the party of conservatism and traditional values, and the Democrats were percieved as the liberal party, the beatnik party, and so on.
Just know that you don't have a future as a political consultant in the Deep South, at least not for Republicans. The Mississippi flag won't be changing for a long time. Now many people refuse to fly a rebel flag, just because many people think it's trashy. For the record, in our old neighborhood, we fell into this category. Most people sympathized with flying it, but flying it was something they wouldn't do. That's what affluence surrounding affluence does to someone. However, you'd see the Bonnie Blue flag in bumpersticker form, many of their kids would get rebel flags on their high school rings, and many of these people, if they do later move to a historic district, go out of their way to get a house where the shield has the battle flag instead of the third national.
When we moved down here on the river though, we moved to a place where the house can't be seen from the road. So then, I raised the flag with pride, something I had really not been able to do since we had moved back down here for good. You're never going to get a Southerner to say he's ashamed of his ancestors, or that his ancestors were wrong. Old money never does, many of us never put the flag in the yard, and alot of us would like the vet to lose, but in our hearts, we're no different than the rednecks out in the suburbs who have the thing flying everywhere. If we were different, then there would have been no third national compromise, as we would have replaced the battle flag on the city shield with a 1st national flag, which incorporates no elements of the battle design.
I suspect that your being unaware of the political realities contributes heavily to your position. Just remember, when the Democrats run against Southern heritage, they lose, when Republicans break ranks and do the same, they lose. People here still have more reverence for Lee then they ever will for Lincoln, and if you ask someone down here who was the greatest Republican president, everyone is going to say Ronald Reagan. For one thing, it's a statement of truth, bar-none, there was no president greater than Reagan. However, if you asked the question outside the South, I'm sure you'll get alot of Lincolns. You'll never get many people to answer that question with Lincoln here. If we haven't felt that way for 150 years, why are we going to now.
You know, there's a reason that Trent Lott said that if Davis were alive today, he would be Republican.
> Actually, if Lincoln were alive today, he'd most probably be a Democrat, given that he was a big government type who believed that the coercive power of the central government should be used to force the states into bending to the federal will.
How's that different from modern Republicans? Reference: abortion.
> Just know that you don't have a future as a political consultant in the Deep South, at least not for Republicans.
That's fine by me. I've been to the Deep South. Nice place to visit. Nice place to launch rockets from. Other than that... shrug. Too damned hot, humid and full of itself. It's like Boston, just hotter.
> You're never going to get a Southerner to say he's ashamed of his ancestors, or that his ancestors were wrong.
And that's the problem. With regards to the War Of Southern Aggression... those ancestors *were* wrong.
Consider: my ancestors, genetically and culturally, were long ago Vikings. June 8 is "Lindisfarne Day," in recognition of the day in 793 when, after having been warred upon by Charlemagne (conversion by the sword), a band of Vikings attacked the monestary on the Brit isle of Lindisfarne, sacked the joint and killed a slew of robe-waerin' nancy-boy monks. Amongst those who still follow the old Norse faith, there is much discussion whether this day should be recognized as a moment in history (specifically, the recognized beginning of the "Viking Age"), or whether it should be venerated as a holiday.
Now: should Lindisfarne Day be celebrated? Should Scandinavians and followers of the odl Norse faith taek this day to, say, hang out a bloody monk's robe? Stick a styrofoam severed Christian's head on a pike? Or would this be inappropriate? This sort of symbolism *IS* my heritage (as well as millions of others). But should it be celebrated? Should it be a source of pride?
> if you ask someone down here who was the greatest Republican president, everyone is going to say Ronald Reagan.
A Yankee from my home state. So, y'all are slowly catching up.