The Rise of Southern Democrats

In the battle for control of the Senate in 2014 and the presidential election in 2016, the emergence of a new generation of Southern Democrats is a major development. These “Johnny Cash Democrats” are big-tent believers in a widely shared dream, in contrast to the “Ted Nugent Republicans” who are small-tent believers with lists of enemies. 

Real Clear Politics polling shows that Democratic candidates in the South are running strong races that put them in striking range of victory in November. In North Carolina, Senator Kay Hagan (D-N.C.) is fighting back against a hostile takeover attempt by radical right forces. In Georgia, Michelle Nunn, daughter of a respected leader, is making a serious run to turn a Senate seat from red to blue. 

In Virginia, Senator Mark Warner (D-Va.) and Senator Tim Kaine (D-Va.), both former governors, are likely to be re-elected and on short lists for future presidential and vice presidential nominations. In Arkansas, Senator Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) is fighting back against slanderous Republican attacks on his Christianity. In Kentucky, Alison Lundergan Grimes is within striking range of upsetting the Republican leader in the U.S. Senate. In Louisiana, Senator Mary Landrieu (D-La.), chairwoman of the Senate Energy Committee, is barnstorming the state to keep her Senate seat in Democratic hands. 

This new generation of Southern Democrats is making a real difference in the political landscape of the South, and could be key to the Democrats’ success in the upcoming elections.

A new poll from Public Policy Polling has revealed that Hillary Clinton is running competitively against potential GOP opponents in the state of Louisiana. In Florida, former Governor Charlie Christ, who left the Republican party in 2012 to become a Democrat, is in a strong position to defeat the unpopular Rick Scott. 

Although it is too early to predict the winners of these races, it is clear that the Democrats are making a comeback in the South. This is due to the emergence of a new generation of savvy leaders with a moderate progressivism that appeals to small and new tech businesses, a soft populism that resonates with working-class voters, and a can-do attitude that stands in stark contrast to the gridlock in Washington and the extremism of the Republican party. 

These new-generation Democrats are attracting many Hispanics, moderates and moderate conservative women, as well as black voters energized by the leadership of the Rev. William Barber, president of the North Carolina NAACP. The battle between Johnny Cash Democrats and Ted Nugent Republicans could prove decisive in the 2014 Senate elections and may even pave the way for a Hillary Clinton presidency. The South is now firmly in play.

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