President Obama down 22 points in the South

Current Gallop Poll from washingtopost.com 

It's time to talk some politics. President Obama is up in every region of the country except the South, according to the most recent Gallup Poll. Now most people will say that is of no surprise, but I wager that the reason is not what you think...then again it may be.

A Democrat has not won the South since Richard Nixon's Southern Strategy

Save for Jimmy Carter, no Democrat has won the South since Richard Nixon implemented his Southern Strategy. Before then, the Democrats had the South on lock. What changed? Well...know your history. The Republican Party of today, is not your grandfather's Republican Party, nor is the Democratic Party. (Read more about it here.)

The Bible Belt

No matter what you think of Southern folks, we are some church going people. And often being church-going means non-church-going folks get the side-eye. Then if you have a glint of being associated with a religion not seen as Christian...welp...you get more than a side-eye.

There was a hard press campaign to paint President Obama as other than Christian. And people bought it and combined it with their notions of what that means. For many it meant: evil, demonic, and simply wrong. If you repeat something enough people will start to believe it. (Have you heard the one about Romney saying he relates to Black people because his grandpa owned slaves? Yep...never happened, but people believe it.)

Had a FB friend with whom I have gone to school with since elementary school (and college), post that Obama is really a Muslim back during the 2008 election. My question was: Since when do Muslims join Christian churches? I'm confused. And to take it even further...why would it matter if he were Muslim?

And then there was the gay marriage issue. Okay...let me tell you...the majority of the states have a ban against gay marriage. You best believe southern states are in that majority. When President Obama came out in support of gay marriage he lost some of the support he has in the South. That's just a truth.

Race Matters

For every one person who will vote for President Obama just because he is Black (I know he is bi-racial...but lets be real, everyone sees him as Black), there are five times as many who will not vote for him because of that. (Yes I'm making up these stats in my head...)

Can a candidate win without the South?

What it will come down to is the Electoral College. Even with the Gallup Poll showing Mitt Romney ahead by 7% points in their week long poll, Romney's support comes in electoral college poor areas. President Obama's support comes in Electoral College rich areas. So yes, a candidate can win the election without the South.


Who knows who will win the election...but you can already start voting!