Is Dean Too Liberal For The South?

Dixie Democrats consider Dean 'too liberal' to win

As for the intraparty squabble among the presidential candidates over Mr. Dean's recent remark about reaching out to white Southern voters who drive pickup trucks with Confederate flags on them, very few of the state chairmen were offended by his remark.

"I understand the point he was trying to make, but I don't know if he knows exactly how tall an order recruiting those voters would actually be," said Mississippi Democratic Chairman Rickey Cole.

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"I don't think he plays that well in North Carolina. I don't think he will play well in the South, period," she [North Carolina Democratic Chairwoman Barbara Allen, an Edwards supporter] said in an interview. "I'm speaking personally, but I don't think he knows a lot about the South. His remark about going after voters in pickups with Confederate flags rubbed people the wrong way here."

I really think that Dean made a huge error with his handling of the Confederate flag on pickup trucks issue. Basically he grabbed the attention of virtually every white male in the South and proved that he had no spine. For someone who desperately needs the South if he plans on getting elected, it was a blunder on the level of a winter invasion of Russia.

The DixieCrats are right, Dean can't win the South. If they want any hope of winning in '04, they will need to nominate someone else who might be able to carry a state or two down this way.

Let's keep hoping that Dean stays the Democratic frontrunner!