E Pluribus Unum

Chris Kromm, of the great Facing South blog, has taken a look at the Yearly Kos convention and notes that there is going to be a panel discussion called "The Impact of the South on U.S. Politics." He's not impressed:

Well, for starters, what's missing is anyone advocating a truly progressive politics in the South. There are two main views represented here: that progressives should 1) forget the South, or 2) move to the right. As we have argued since Facing South launched over a year ago, these aren't the only options.

The South has a deep progressive tradition, rooted in values such as a sense of place, love of the land, mutual aid, and a healthy populist wariness of unaccountable power. Throughout history, Southern political figures and movements have successfully tapped these rich veins to advance various progressive causes. The fact that the right has been more politically successful -- as it has nationally -- doesn't make these progressive traditions any less real or useful.

Even more importantly, future trends point to Southern politics moving in a more progressive direction: from the fast-growing areas analyst Ruy Teixeira calls "emerging suburbs," to the Latino population, rapidly expanding both in old strongholds like Florida and Texas, but also in new top destinations like Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia.

It's more than a little ironic that [Steve] Jarding and Mudcat [Saunders] are launching a new crusade to attract white guys just as Texas turns into a "majority minority" state, with Georgia and Mississippi not far behind.

The point isn't to dismiss these viewpoints out of hand. Everyone can agree that progressives have to be strategic about where they pour limited resources, and must think about ways to reach those, like "white males," who are growing frustrated with Republican rule (think of the big numbers against the Iraq war in a pro-military state like North Carolina, or Southerners frustrated about losing jobs overseas -- both issues which centrist Democrats have failed to capitalize on thanks to their inability to present coherent alternatives).

Shouldn't the starting point of any debate about the South be: what progressive future do we want for the region, and how do we get there? Sadly, I think the throngs of Yearly Kos attendees won't hear much in the way of innovative thoughts on these vital questions.