Unfortunately those states have all of about a dozen electoral votes combined. Well, maybe a dozen plus a few more, but the fact is that the southern electoral votes are the key to a Republican in the whitehouse. Without them it is physically impossible to win and has been for about a decade at least. The south began splitting towards the GOP in the 1950's with Eisenhower, BTW. It has become progressively more republican ever since and has given a majority of its votes to the republican in every election since Reagan. Yankeeland, by contrast, voted in near unanimaty for Bill Clinton not once but twice.
Except for 1992 and 1996 that is.
The south began splitting towards the GOP in the 1950's with Eisenhower, BTW.
Say what? In 1952 Stevenson carried Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, North and South Carolina, Kentucky, West Virginia...and nothing else. In 1956 Stephenson carried Missouri, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, North and South Carolina...and nothing else. Democrats pretty much swept the south in 1960 and 1964 and 1976. It's more like 1980 before the south began trending Republican, decades after the Great Plains states. So welcome to the show, y'all. Better late than never.