John Kerry's flirtation with writing off the South in his bid for the presidency this fall may be coming to an end. The Massachusetts Senator and presumptive Democratic presidential nominee began a campaign swing through the South that included a lunchtime meeting with Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu (a possible Veepstakes winner) yesterday.This is a good sign for Democrats, who risked losing any chance they had at Southern Congressional seats, particularly in the Senate, if Kerry's campaign decided not to pursue southern voters. It's also good news for Kerry, who would have faced tremendous difficulty cobbling together a winning coalition if he chose not to compete in the South. Not only would he need to capture every state that Al Gore won in 2000, but he would also have to pick off one of the red states, no small task against a sitting president. Complicating matters even more is the prospect that a non-southern electoral srategy could put Kerry on the wrong sides of a number of issues (particularly cultural issues) that are as popular in suburban Ohio and Pennsylvania as they are throughout the South.
Kerry aides indicated yesterday that their focus on the South could result in a southerner being put on the ticket. This would probably be a wise move on Kerry's part, as the last Democratic ticket to win without a Southern was in 1944 (Roosevelt - Truman, for the curious).
Kerry has an advantage in the upcoming election that Democrats haven't had in a long time. The liberal base is energized and focused on winning, and has been willing to put some differences aside in their efforts to oust President Bush. If Kerry takes advantage of this and doesn't let Bob Shrum whisper in his ear too much, (and with the economy still struggling) he just might have a fighting chance.
Tony
