Would the Democrats be a little better off politically if more southerners were in positions

[Tony_FLADEM]

of leadership in the Obama Administration and Congress.


No members of Obama's cabinet are from the south. In the Congress, with the exception of John Spratt who is Chairman of the House Budget Committee, no Democratic politicians from the south chair any committees. There might be some, but I can't think of them.

Do you think the generic ballot gap for congress in the south would be a little more narrow if Southern Democratic politicians were more prominent?

Maybe some voters in the south are figuring they have no stake in the current government, so might as well vote Republican.

[zipplewrath]

1. Chicken - Egg

They'd be better off if there were more democrats from the south. LBJ kinda hosed that up for a few generations, that and the democratic move to integrate the party. Having said that, yes, I think a leadership change in the congress, and some new blood in the White House would not be a bad idea.

[steve2470]

2. I agree with the need for more Dems in the south nt

[arbusto_baboso]

3. You might have a point.

Looking back, since JFK the only Democratic Presidents before Obama were southerners. There's got to be some reasons for that.

[csziggy]

4. I am afraid the Dixiecrats would do more damage than good

And I say this as a Florida Democrat. There are few Southern Democrats with enough seniority that I would want to see in power. Many of the best, like Bob Graham, retired during the Bush years, I suspect because they could see what was coming and just did not have the stomach for it.

A lot of the up and coming ones, like Grayson, do not have the seniority and are not in the same camp as the Obama team so will not get the best positions.