There’s hope for Democrats in winning the South in November and years to come. The party needs to harken back to the Democratic Leadership Council centrist philosophy of fiscal responsibility, investment in education and economic development.
I found this article on BCNN1 that I commend to your attention, The South’s National Political Power is Waning – BCNN1. Arkansas may again be the path forward for Democrats in November and beyond.

Arkansas is the last former Confederate state where Democrats still control both chambers of the Legislature. Republicans cut into their majorities in the national GOP sweep of 2010, but couldn’t take over. Democratic Gov. Mike Beebe, meanwhile, won every county on his way to a second term.
Bond said the Arkansas party, besides enjoying the afterglow of having produced a president, has focused relentlessly on fiscal responsibility, education and economic development.

Yesterday, on the Andrea Mitchell Reports show (MSNBC) Mayor Michael Bloomberg gave a great economic analysis. He contrasted economic development and investment strategies in North Carolina and South Carolina.
Bloomberg said that NC invested in higher education and research and development, while SC attempted to revive their textile and manufacturing industries instead of looking to the future. North Carolina’s development model has paid off greatly while South Carolina continues to struggle along. Bloomberg is a proponent of the centrist strategy that the DLC promoted in the 1990s and Bill Clinton implemented as President (but in his zeal to win over the  financial sector, he gutted Glass-Steagall and opened the door to the Great Recession that burdens President Obama’s economic agenda).
The next fifty-five days will define the future of the Democratic Party and our ability to grow in the South and West.
Do you agree that the Democratic Party’s best days are on the horizon? Leave a comment below.