The Southern party

Speaking of Southern views of Barack Obama, an interesting read on what I've believed would eventually be true ... and that's how the South is no longer essential to winning the presidency and that it's become the only safe haven for today's version of the Republican Party.

Without significant retooling, the GOP will resort to being a regional party that appeals to only an increasingly shrinking demographic. Reverting to being 'more conservative' and embracing the hot-button social issues that drive the conservative base simply won't work in the future. The country has moved to the left and is now a center-left nation on most of the pressing issues, and seeing how poll after poll shows that more young people are more progressive on health care, the economy, education and other social issues, if the GOP retreats to its small government mantra and social conservatism, I struggle to see how it succeeds in the immediate future.