Southern politics scholar advises "Don’t write off the South"
A good performance in the vice presidential debate by Sen. John
Edwards of North Carolina could be a factor in a win by Kerry on Nov. 2
in one or more Southern states, despite predictions that the Bush
campaign is practically assured of victory there. While more Southern
states are likely to be red than blue this November, the Democrats’
campaign strategy may succeed by carrying just a few Southern states,
says Vanderbilt Fellow Kareem Crayton. "The Kerry/Edwards ticket needs
only to eke out a win in one or two Southern states to make the race
for electoral votes very uncomfortable for Republicans," he says.
"Polls in Arkansas, North Carolina and Virginia show the Democrats
within striking distance of Bush. If Edwards has a good debate,
especially if he successfully attacks the economy which is the
Republicans’ weakest spot and his strongest, the tide could turn in any
of those states." An instructor at the Vanderbilt University Law
School, Crayton studies issues of election law and political
representation. He explores Southern politics, congressional elections
and the effects of the 1965 Voting Rights Act on voting and
redistricting processes in Southern states.
Media contact: Susanne Hicks, (615) 322-NEWS
susanne.hicks@vanderbilt.edu
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