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Southern Discomfort Democrats no longer need the South, but the region needs them.
The American Prospect ^ | February 9, 2011 | Mark Schmitt

Posted on 02/10/2011 5:56:29 AM PST by Palmetto Patriot

...In 2012, the president's strategists can choose between trying to reproduce Obama's narrow wins in the affluent corners of the South (not including Florida) or attempting to hold on to swing states like Nevada and Colorado, where Democratic senators in 2010 won on support from well-organized Hispanic voters and the labor movement. It's not a tough call. It would be almost impossible to make the case for investing political resources in the South. The divorce is final. And largely for the good, as congressional Democrats will no longer have to twist their policies beyond recognition to accommodate Southern Democrats who are doomed anyway.

(Excerpt) Read more at prospect.org ...


TOPICS: Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: democrats; strategy
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The author, a senior fellow at the New America Foundation, and director of the Governance and Public Policy program at the Open Society Institute, advises Dems to give up on the South in the next election, and move even further to the left in their policies.

Lessons learned? Or have they doubled down on a disastrous course of action that will keep them out of power for a generation?

1 posted on 02/10/2011 5:56:34 AM PST by Palmetto Patriot
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To: Palmetto Patriot

Or have they doubled down on a disastrous course of action that will keep them out of power for a generation?

This.


2 posted on 02/10/2011 6:01:19 AM PST by A_Former_Democrat (The Rodney King Riots: Courtesy of ABC, CBS, NBC & CNN)
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To: A_Former_Democrat

They are focusing on the South — that’s where their next convention is, No Carolina. I hope it brings the TeaParty out in force.


3 posted on 02/10/2011 6:02:52 AM PST by bboop (Stealth Tutor)
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To: Palmetto Patriot

Fanatic believers, especially articulate, educated ones, are a sight to behold. This cannot end well, though they may have the fleeting impression it is working in the very short run.

No strategy than this would be better planned to emphasize the split in American ideology and possibly foment a permanent division of one part of the nation from the other.


4 posted on 02/10/2011 6:03:23 AM PST by BelegStrongbow (St. Joseph, patron of fathers, pray for us!)
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To: Palmetto Patriot
The author, a senior fellow at the New America Foundation, and director of the Governance and Public Policy program at the Open Society Institute, advises Dems to give up on the South in the next election, and move even further to the left in their policies.

And I fervently hope the democrats follow that advice, especially in light of the election results in November. The dems don't tend to do well on a national basis when they double-down on the liberal path. Victory for them comes when they succeed in fooling the sheeple that they've shifted to the political center.

As for the South needing the dems... I'd like to know what the author is smoking. It must be some fine stuff.

5 posted on 02/10/2011 6:04:02 AM PST by ScottinVA (The West needs to act NOW to aggressively treat its metastasizing islaminoma!)
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To: Palmetto Patriot

Good luck with that strategy. The Democrats won’t just lose the South, they’ll lose border states and the Midwest. Its a platform the American people don’t like.


6 posted on 02/10/2011 6:04:30 AM PST by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives In My Heart Forever)
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To: Palmetto Patriot
Democrats no longer need the South, but the region needs them.

No, actually, we don't.

Good riddance to bad rubbish.

The country as a whole does not need socialism. Especially the south.

7 posted on 02/10/2011 6:05:08 AM PST by Only1choice____Freedom (FDR had the New Deal. President 0bama has the Raw Deal.)
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To: Palmetto Patriot

Quotes on American Progress:

“the simple fact is that we should encourage people who have progressive ideas to move out of the South”

Please GO!!

“And the way to do that is to let the fools who believe that “n!ggers are all rapists”, “wetbacks are stealing my job”, and “the free market will make us all rich” run those states into the ground”

All the economic growth is in the South and many of the people of color are doing much better that urban people of color in Progressive Bastions like Boston and Chicago.

“Then formalize the divorce by ejecting them. They tried to leave once before and were forcibly detained.We should have let them go.”

Absolutely!!!! This former New Yorker wants no part of the lefty North.


8 posted on 02/10/2011 6:05:24 AM PST by Le Chien Rouge
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To: Palmetto Patriot

Conversely the free traders and pro banker GOP is killing support from the Reagan Democrats that are needed to hold onto the mid West/Great Lakes. Want to win 2012, give me a candidate that has a history of going after corporate America when they cross the line and screw the taxpayer. The first candidate that will make an effort to put the bankers in jail for their shenanigans has my vote. Only GOP potential that has that history is Gov Palin. She broke up the fix contracting schemes of the old GOP/oil companies as well as go after large oil companies that win leases to drill oil and then sat on the state land. This is one of the legitimate point the Dem left makes about oil companies claiming they need more land for drilling when they already have plenty of land and no activity during the Bush and to an extent the Clinton years. Note: Obama makes the situation even worst under its current DoE/EPA/Interior Dept with all their reg hurdles to drilling on land.


9 posted on 02/10/2011 6:08:07 AM PST by Fee
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To: bboop

I don’t see (.)bama doing anything that will entice southern, somewhat moderate, dems to support his programs. Besides that, queen Pelousy seems to be doing her part to shut out anyone in the dem party who is not completely left wing. The inroads the GOP made in 2010 at the state and local levels, mostly in the south and mid west, with pay dividends in 2012 as the mood of the country is against big city and left coast philosophies IMO.


10 posted on 02/10/2011 6:08:30 AM PST by Mouton
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To: Only1choice____Freedom

As the song says, “the Southern man don’t need you around, anyhow.”


11 posted on 02/10/2011 6:11:01 AM PST by Hugin ("A man'll usually tell you his bad intentions if you listen and let yourself hear it"--- BTW)
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To: bboop
They are focusing on the South — that’s where their next convention is, No Carolina. I hope it brings the TeaParty out in force.

What Democratic Conventions bring out is their lunatic fringe group coalition.

It will become the Charlotte Freak Show, and it will further alienate Southern voters.

12 posted on 02/10/2011 6:11:31 AM PST by Palmetto Patriot (Just exactly when is the next Election?)
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To: Palmetto Patriot

Well, since Pennsylvania now has a Republican governor, Lt. Governor, Senate, House one Senator and the large majority of Federal reps, I guess Pennsylvania can be written off also. Same with Ohio..

Oh, BTW, we’ll be working on the second Senator from Pennsylvania in 2012. See ya at the polls Casey...


13 posted on 02/10/2011 6:12:08 AM PST by Old Teufel Hunden
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To: Only1choice____Freedom

The country as a whole does not need socialism. Especially the south.

You re right. The south is used to hard work and living on less than the enlightened, “more educated”, politically correct rest of the country and we have and will survive. So, we are fine in God fearing, country loving, gun toting land. They will understand how little we need them come 2012 and beyond. Oh, and if you need that oil you hate so much in the future, forget it.


14 posted on 02/10/2011 6:13:11 AM PST by Bitsy
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To: Old Teufel Hunden

The South need Democrats...to go away.


15 posted on 02/10/2011 6:16:34 AM PST by screaminsunshine (34 States)
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To: Palmetto Patriot
"Presidential elections and congressional majorities could be won without the region, and the Mountain West was the land of political opportunity."

I agree with the author of that book here. We own the South. Outside of pockets of resistance, the left owns the Northeast and left coast. The battleground for the soul of America lies in the Mid West and Mountain West.
16 posted on 02/10/2011 6:18:46 AM PST by Old Teufel Hunden
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To: BelegStrongbow

Soros, pulling the strings again...


17 posted on 02/10/2011 6:22:34 AM PST by keep your powder dry (With your pike upon your shoulder, at the rising of the moon!)
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To: Palmetto Patriot

“director of the Governance and Public Policy program at the Open Society Institute”

“Open Society”? Isn’t that George Soros’ group?


18 posted on 02/10/2011 6:23:09 AM PST by DugwayDuke
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To: Old Teufel Hunden
The battleground for the soul of America lies in the Mid West and Mountain West.

I agree.

But when they abandon the South, we can spend less defending it.

This allows us to spend our resources in the battleground states.

19 posted on 02/10/2011 6:27:54 AM PST by Palmetto Patriot (Just exactly when is the next Election?)
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To: DugwayDuke

Yes, sir.


20 posted on 02/10/2011 6:30:39 AM PST by Palmetto Patriot (Just exactly when is the next Election?)
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