Bush's Southern Problem (Is the South slipping from their grasp?)

[Dover]

Bush's Southern Problem

08/29/2003

"Any Democratic candidate will be destroyed in the South," gloated Chris Caldwell in a recent issue of the Weekly Standard. Caldwell should head to Greenville, South Carolina, one of the most conservative areas in the United States, where Bush--bashing currently extends from unemployed machine operators to textile industry CEOs.

"Bush can forget about the Solid South," says Roger Chastain, president of a textile company. "There's no Solid South anymore." Chastain told the New York Times that the massive loss of jobs (2.5 million nationally) since Bush took office, and anger over the stagnant pace of economic recovery, makes the president vulnerable in a region his party has long taken for granted. Lynn Mayson, a mother of three, and unemployed for months, put it bluntly: "I'm not going to vote for Bush unless things change. The economy has got to get better." Both Chastain and Mayson are registered Republicans, part of the "solid south" that helped Bush win office in 2000.

The trade issue has become a lightning rod of discontent in these parts. Even the Republican chief executive of Spartanburg, South Carolina's Economic Development Corporation, laments that the number of new jobs is not keeping pace with those lost, putting South Carolina among the highest-ranked states in percentage of jobs lost during the Bush years (#3 behind Massachusetts and Ohio)...>>

http://www.thenation.com/edcut/index.mhtml?bid=7

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. Another factor

is the military one. There are thousands of Guardsmen and Reservists overseas who have no idea when they will come home. The South has traditionally been the place where a lot of military people come from, and they take pride in that fact. But they don't like being treated like cannon fodder.

I've watched as the Harrison (AR) Daily Times has gone from rah-rah Bush on everything (and calling for anti-war protesters to be 'reined in') to running anti-Bush cartoons that made fun of his appearance on the aircraft carrier, etc, etc. These people take 'support our troops' seriously, and when they see military getting shafted, they get mad.

[Zech Marquis]

2. same reactions here

in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia...while there's a still a support our troops motto going about, there is also a risin tide of anti * feelings too. This a big, big military area, active, reserved, and retired. Lots f them are really pissed off about the numerous deployments, benefit and civilian employee pay cuts..he's in deep trouble!

[Dover]

3. The cover story on American Conservative magazine -

August 11, 2003 Issue

Death of Manufacturing

By Patrick J. Buchanan
Free trade imperils American jobs, sovereignty, and power

http://www.amconmag.com/

[Democrats unite]

4. I am reminded of the quote "The South shall rise again"

But not in the same meaning of the original quote.

[gratuitous]

5. This is an important thing to keep in mind

There may be a number of states may be in play than the conventional wisdom says are usually safe. The Democratic candidate who goes to the South and starts opening things up by addressing the problems there will do the party a great service.

[TacticalPeek]

6. I want Texas.

If Rove is charged with a federal felony, I think its possible.

[kodi]

7. wishful thinking, old habits die hard.

the normal, as well as conservative people i visit in companies all over the south tell me that they might not vote for bush, but certainly will not vote democratic. thank fox news, rush, and the right wing media for that.

many have said that they will sit out the next election. nothing is going to make them vote democratic.

they dont tie in job loss with this republican adminstration because they never thought higher employment in the south was because of a democratic administration.

[Stuckinthebush]

8. Sitting out is fine

In a few Southern states, the Rep/Dem mix is not that lopsided. If traditionally Republican voters "sit out", then this is good news for the Democratic candidate.

[tedoll78]

9. I was about to say..

.. the exact same thing. In the South, a strategy of GOP voter suppression/demoralization might be a better path to victory than party conversion. Advertise how "liberal" Bush has been.. if we can get a portion of the retarded right to sit at home on election day just to spite the pResident, our chances of victory jump.

The numbers are out there for us to use: which districts went strongly for Bush? After determining this, we can target our billboard and poster advertisements.