Final Lecture
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This morning the New York Times came out with a far bolder take-home message about the geographical implication of the 2008 election than I did last night in class. As the Times headline puts it: “For South, A Waning Hold on National Politics.” According to this interpretation, much of the Southern White population, which had been a dominant group in the Republican Party, has now placed itself outside of the mainstream of American presidential politics, and, as a result, the influence of the South will decline. The article also differentiates the new “suburban South,” which is trending blue, from the interior South, which is not.
Does this seem like a reasonable interpretation, or is it perhaps premature?
David Brooks’ op-ed column in the NY Times today is also worth reading. He predicts that the Republican party will become more conservative in the short-term, but further contends that such a retrenchment will hurt the party, forcing it eventually to reorient its political stance. Does this interpretation seem reasonable?
