SubscribeDixiecrats: Underdog of the South (Part 3 of 4)
Ever since the Democratic Party pushed for social reform and equal rights in the late 1960s, the South has increasingly been off limits to Democratic candidates running for office on a national, state, and local scale. The South used to be a reliable voting block for the Democratic Party, but over time have shifted firmly under the control of the Republicans.
Only President Carter (D-Georgia) and Clinton (D-Arkansas) have been able to make gains in the southern states, but this only served as a temporary blip due to the fact that they were both moderate Democrats from the South. It appears that when the South has a chance to elect one of their own to be a presidential nominee, that candidate has a fair chance of winning a national election and possibly stealing a few southern states.
Once the Democrats have used their strength in representation and solidified gains in the Midwest and Southwest, they can then branch out and attack the southern coalition of states. If the Democratic Party finds itself in resurgence on a national scale, the Dixiecrats will become the cornerstone of a southern invasion and the last piece of the electoral puzzle.
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