What’s Happening to Jimmy Carter’s South?

Conservatism and populism both ran strong in the 1978 elections, and that may tell us some interesting things a) about Jimmy Carter, especially in the South, and b) about the Southernization of American politics.

Let us begin with the aftermath. At a Kansas City press conference on November 9, Mr. Carter surveyed the results: “I think the Democrats did fairly well on a nationwide basis. … I think there was a general expression around the country of approval for the Democratic Party and its policies.”

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Ross Mackenzie

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Conservatism and populism both ran strong in the 1978 elections, and that may tell us some interesting things a) about Jimmy Carter, especially in the South, and b) about the Southernization of American politics.

Let us begin with the aftermath. At a Kansas City press conference on November 9, Mr. Carter surveyed the results: “I think the Democrats did fairly well on a nationwide basis. … I think there was a general expression around the country of approval for the Democratic Party and its policies.”