Looking West, the pick-up on the Colorado governorship and a few choice House seats means a Great Coalition is forming -- the West and the Northeast are aligning to form a new Democratic majority, a majority that does not need to win in GOP strongholds, one that is sufficient in electoral votes to elect a Democratic president in this next election without spending a dime contesting in Florida, Tennessee, Texas, or the rest of the South.
I disagree
We have to compete in all 50 states, and I think Dean's 50 state strategy is the biggest reason that Dems are in control in the Senate. Had we not fielded candidates in Montana or Virginia we would not have the Senate.
To categorically write off the South in the next presidential election, is tantamount to basically not being well enough informed about the South. There are states we can flip.
Florida remains a political mystery. Just how will the political winds blow at the time? The fact that Jeb Bush was wildly popular does not mean that the new GOP Gov. will be likewise. Jeb Bush took Florida through 4 hurricanes and did his constituents well. I just don't think the new Gov. will be as fortunate.
Louisiana and Arkansas have had and continue to have a thriving Democratic party within those states. Both could be flipped for the right candidate.
North Carolina is perhaps the most evolving state in the South. As more and more liberals move into the "Golden Triangle," we're already seeing it become more and more democratic in Raleigh. Just imagine a few Fairfax County, Virginia's smack dab in the middle of North Carolina and you can see what I mean.
Georgia, while teaming with a richness of GOP politicians right now, could be flipped by easily capturing Atlanta. This wouldn't be an easy move, but then again Georgia shouldn't be written off.
Oklahoma, home to Wesley Clark, could be flipped for the right candidate, and, indeed, Kentucky and Virginia could as well.
What some outsiders may not pick up on, but people like myself, Maltese, and others who actually live here, is that the South is really not all that solid, nor are we all that united.
People living in my birth state of Mississippi often consider North Carolina and Virginia to be "up north." We were loathe to even include Tennessee at times, thus the euphemism "mid-south" was termed. And really, no one outside, perhaps, Tennessee, considers Kentucky as a Southern State - Kentucky wasn't even part of the old Confederacy.
There were people who were dead set against sending money for a Democratic challenger in Montana. And they were wrong.
We can't afford to not compete in every state.
As for my pick for president, it remains the same. Bill Richardson of New Mexico. And while I have given considerable thought to just whom should be the 2nd person on the ticket, for the moment I am leaning toward Wesley Clark. I have given serious consideration to Janet Napolitano of New Mexico, and she would force McCain to campaign at home, but I'm just not quite there in signing off on her yet. The Western Strategy is a winning strategy in my book, though.
O'Bama is still too new and would just be a repeat of John Edwards candidacy. And I'm afraid Al Gore's train has come and gone. Decent and wonderful man, but he should have run in the last election.
We have to look to the state houses, even more, for Presidential candidates. Being in the Senate carries too much baggage.
She has too many negatives and he has absolutely no experience.
