Shocko From Seattle wrote a thought-provoking diary entitled "What's The Matter With Kentucky?" Please, read it now, here http://www.dailykos.com/...
I have an idea about part of that question, after shockingly hearing the KY Senate Democratic (Minority party) leader say, on NPR, as explanation of why Democratic candidate Jack Conway lost to Tea Party Republican Matt Bevin: " ... maybe we should be questioning Barack Obama's actions even more".
Yeah ... whut?
What explains a "Democratic Leader" talking like that?! He sounds like a bigoted Old Southern Democrat from 1964! Whose side is he on?
This might explain it:
It's 1968. President Lyndon Johnson is correct - southern Democrats historically invested in over a century of "states rights", perpetuation of slavery and emotional support for the War Of Northern Aggression have abandoned the Kennedy-Johnson Democratic party due to the passing of the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts. In anger, they now register as "Republican".
The Republican party, losing support generally since Eisenhower, welcomes the influx of these new, southern, conservative, racist, bigoted voters into their fold. The Republican "Southern Strategy" is born.
Meanwhile, back in the hollers and valleys of the south ... families who have been Old South Democrats since before the Civil War still are registered Democrats locally - and their children register as Democratic, as do their grandchildren.
Although, having been nursing at the teat of GOP Southern Strategy since the late 1960's, these people, registered Democrats, align completely with current Republican party ideals on social issues. And tend to vote Republican nationally since the 1960's.
These folks have no problem voting on a local or state level for a "registered Democrat" like Kim Davis, who replaced her mother, another registered Democrat. After all, gay religious fundamentalist bigotry like Democrat Kim Davis' aligns perfectly with the conservatism and racism of the Old South Democrat - and the current Republican party.
Likewise, families descendant of Republican carpetbagger influx after the Civil War still register as Republicans, Republican since the party of Lincoln. But their family history and political upbringings align these people more with the modern Democratic party.
Meanwhile, we northern carpetbaggers have continued our influx into the south since the 1960's. Some of us bring our Democratic party ideals, the party of Kennedy, Johnson, Carter, Clinton - with us. And we register as Democrats when we arrive in the south.
Other transplanted northerners, obviously, register as Republicans.
So, I propose that although registered Democrats outnumber registered Republicans in Kentucky, what that registration reflects is a hefty portion of Old Southern Democrats who vote GOP mingled with Republican northern transplants.
Old Southern Democrats who utter statements and advice to candidates, like "run from Barack Obama"
And "Lincoln" Republicans, whose families have voted with Lincoln-like ideals since the Civil War, joining modern liberal Democrats voting for progressive Democratic candidates.
The demographics of voter registration as Democrat or Republican in the new south lie to us and mislead us.
It is more complicated than that. Southern voters may be registered Democratic (like the majority voters in KY) but look how they vote.
This is precisely why President Obama should have visited Kentucky - the "registered Republican red counties" - and every other southern state. Because there are pockets of registered Republican voters who love him, and vote Democratic party ideals at a national level.
This is why we cannot dismiss all Kentucky voters from their registration designation only. And trying to analyze voting results with the assumption that "registered Democrats are progressive and registered Republicans are not" is a confounder to accurate analysis.
This is precisely why we need an aggressive, 50-state strategy to enable voters, no matter their familial, historic voter registration, to vote for their own current well-being and interests, in spite of party registration.
The Democratic party needs to court the "old familial Republicans" living in the modern red states. Living in Appalachia. Voting Republican locally and state-wise, but Democratic nationally (because they've heard the candidate speak, and agree to the social policies)
And not be shocked when the likes of Kim Davis proudly proclaims to the press, "I am a life-long Democrat, of course! And my family is, too!"*
* (until Mike Huckabee, appalled, tells her 'Nowadays Kim you should be a Republican, change your registration' and she does)
By dismissing "Eh, they are registered Republican in that southern state - no use putting Democratic resources there" we are missing both voters that have over 100 years of voting for democratic ideals on a national level; and changing minds with obvious successes like #KYnect.
Your thoughts?