Why do Southern Democrats vote Republicans into office?

1. 79

   Rodric29posted 11 years ago

   Why do Southern Democrats vote Republicans into office?
   
   Southerns tend to be Democrats by traditions. Why do they tend to vote Republican?

   replyreport
2. 74

   breathe2travelposted 11 years ago

   Party platforms have changes gradually yet drastically over the past decades.  Southerners are largely fiscally and socially conservative.  The Democratic platform does not adhere to the principles of fiscal or social conservatism.  The Republican party, while not as fiscally conservative as a Libertarian, offers some legislation of morality.  The Libertarian party is fiscally conservative and the most socially conservative of the parties, in that their platform does not promote legislating every facet of life.  At least, that's the way I understand it.  Could be wrong.

   replyreport
   1. 79

      Rodric29posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I love this answer. It provides perspective and a basis for a decent hub article. You could be wrong, but let's just say that you are correct. I agree with you.

      replyreport
   2. 71

      Conservative Ladyposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I will "second" your answer breathe! Makes sense to me too.

      replyreport
3. 0

   Longhunterposted 11 years ago

   You're thinking of the Old South. States like mine, Tennessee, became more Republican several years ago after 140 years of having a Democrat majority.
   
   I'm a Conservative but I have a few friends that have been very Liberal in the past and voted Democratic.
   
   Perhaps what you're seeing isn't Democrats voting for Republicans but rather Dems becoming Republicans because the Democratic Party has left them. At least that's what my Dem friends tell me. They still believe in the government helping those that need it. They just don't believe in Socialism and, down here, that is way our federal government, Obama in particular, seems to be heading.
   
   The Democratic Party of today has become so radical, Southern Dems just don't agree with the party anymore.

   replyreport
   1. 79

      Rodric29posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Great answer and also a good platform to build on a hub Article with some research. I agree with your answer. My mother was a democrat but all her views were conservative. When I told her she was closeted Republican she blanched, but agreed  later.

      replyreport
4. 74

   lburmasterposted 11 years ago

   Honestly, I've lived in the south my entire life and I dislike both parties. Republican's are too strict and need to be broken every now and again. But democrats always take it too far and don't have common sense when it comes to money. I always vote Republican because they have normally done better in positive results. Also I agree with them more.
   I'm against abortion (to an extent), I do not agree with "sharing the wealth" (it's called my money, idiot), I do accept gays and lesbians as friends and family members, etc.
   Please note the word "normally" at the end of the first paragraph, there are always exceptions.

   replyreport
   1. 0

      Longhunterposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I really like and agree with your answer, Iburmaster.
      
      I, too, am against abortion (to an extent). I don't agree with "sharing the wealth" either (I worked for it so it's my money, government idiots). I have a gay cousin and he's family - PERIOD.

      replyreport
5. 65

   wingedcentaurposted 11 years ago

   Hi Rodric29! How's it going?
   
   You always have to remember that the Republicans and Democrats actually underwent an ideological swap on minority issues. Its an incredible thing when one thinks of it. Founded as the successor to the Whig Party, the Republican machine was based on the idea of the superiority of free labor to slave labor. The Republican Party of Lincoln was the anti-slavery party.
   
   The Republicans of the early and mid-19th century was anti-slave, pro-business. The geographical distribution, at that time, was roughly like this: Northeast and Upper Midwest. If one was an abolitionist, you tended to vote Republican.
   
   The Democratic party of the early and mid-19th century was pro-slavery and what you might call 'populist' on economic issues. Andrew Jackson is a great example of this. He was a Democrat pro-slavery, anti-Indian, but he thought the poor white farmer deserved to get a fair shake; Jackson opposed the First Bank of the United States of populist economic grounds.
   
   Then during Reconstruction, after the Civil War, there was a lot of interracial turmoil that transpired between blacks and whites in the South and North. This caused upper class white Republican men in the North to start to feel some sympathy with the upper class white Democratic men in the South. Civil War reunion meetings started up, in which the issue of slavery was practically forgotten.
   
   There were Southern Democrats at least through the 1960s; and something called Reagan Democrats. Region plays a role in political ideology over and above one's nominal political affiliation sometimes.

   replyreport