I want to remind folks that the Tar Heel State, along with fellow border states - Arkansas and Tennessee, plus Florida, which was unsuited for large, export crop plantations - had FAR fewer slaves. And by border, I'm referring to the Confederacy. The legacy of slavery continues to shape southern politics TODAY, much like it did in 1860s.
But the deep south - Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina - is different and much more conservative, closed minded, and racist.
In Louisiana, prostitute client David Vitter is basing his reelection on opposing Obama. The foundation of that opposition is race, plain and simple.
In Mississippi, a statewide referendum to remove the Confederate flag from the state flag's design failed overwhelmingly, with the vote totals mirroring the racial profile of registered voters.
Of course, in South Carolina the Confederate flag flies on the state house grounds in Columbia. The NAACP continues a travel boycott of South Carolina over the flag issue.
In 2002, Georgia voters did not reelect a Democratic governor and Senator Max Cleland. The number one issue for voters, according to exit polls, was the decision by the previous Democratic governor to remove the Confederate flag motif from the state flag.
Only 14 percent of white Louisianans voted for Obama last year. In Alabama, Obama picked up even fewer white votes, only 10 percent. For Mississippi, 11 percent.
In fairness (and obviously painting with such a broad brush - especially on a topic like this - is not accurate but it IS ranty) more than 20 percent of white voters in Georgia and South Carolina (26% and 23%, respectively) voted for Obama.
But in the historically more moderate border states Obama picked up more than 30% of the white vote: North Carolina 35%; Arkansas 30%; Tennessee 34%.
As William Faulkner said, a man who you have to give the benefit of the doubt, 'The past is not dead. In fact, it's not even past' is sadly still true when it comes to politics in the deep south.
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