"the irony that the former 'states rights' south has now become the 'red state republican' south"

Very true and I have made note of it here over the years on this board. But the reasons the South has gone to the Republican Party and away from the traditional Democratic Party started with Nixon pandoring to the South to get votes. The national Democrats abandoned the South and turned on the region with federal laws in order to make it bow to "political correctness" to appease New England and West Coast Democrats. Southern Republicans are really old Southern Democrats who needed another party and have a different view of the world than the traditional GOP. I agree, its a strange partnership considering the history.

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David Upton