Southern Politics - Matthew Orr

Politics seem to have been mainly one-sided in the South for the past 20 year or so, siding with the conservative GOP since Regan's administration in the 80's. However, this was not always the case, and in some parts of the South has changed from conservative to more liberal pockets in this region of the United States. A basic understanding of demographics and high school government education makes it easy to decipher why this is so.

For the most part, yes, the South is a very red section of the United States. A lot of factors contribute to this, but the main reasons are Protestant religious standpoints in the South and rural populations in most states in the South. However, after analyzing a map of county- by- county results of the 2008 Presidential Election from USA Today, it is easy to see that not ALL parts of the South are red, and the reasons why are easier than one may think.

At first glance, it may seem like the distribution of blue pockets across the South are disorganized and random. However, upon careful inspection, these pockets of Blue counties (voted for Obama in 2008) were very urban counties with major Southern cities. Areas like Charlotte, Atlanta, New Orleans, Miami, Columbia, SC, and Montgomery are all major urban cities in the South, and have very legitimate reasons to want to vote for Liberal presidential candidates. Urban areas are major hubs for minority groups and demand federal funding for many city projects. Thus, Major urban cities favor progressive candidates who can promote minority rights and improve urban areas through federal government interaction, something the Republican Party believes should not be allowed (the federal government should be minimized).

Another area of interest are the lines in Southern Georgia, Alabama, and along the Mississippi and Rio Grande Rivers. These areas have high percentages of minorities that favor progressive candidates who promote minority rights.

For a history of the South's transformation from Democratic to Republican ideals, check out this History Channel article