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I just left the South for DC. The South is still distinctly different--I'm a Midwestern native, whose also lived in the NE and spent a lot of time on the West Coast for work and family. Places like Georgia aren't going to turn Blue any time soon---outside of Atlanta (S of Buckhead) and its immediate suburbs to the East & South, Georgia is solidly Red. Virginia remains distinctly different from its neighbors even in the DC area. Still, there are several Souths--A border state like Tennessee actually should be competitive for Dems and it had 2 liberal Seantors 15 yeasr ago. Alabama and Mississippi are hopeless, tho. The 50 State strategy is a good idea vbecause it helps build state parties, but national elections are won in classic swing states----Florida is the only one in Dixie and its been listing Red. The Great Lakes States, Oregon, Washington, & Pennsylvania are worth more effort and have more electoral votes. Shifts in the intermountain West (which is growing faster than most of the South) are probably a more important trend to follow than the glacial transformation of Virginia or the occasional brightspot in NC.
