Yearly Kos ignores the progressive South

On June 8-11, left-of-center blog-followers from across the country will be gathering in Las Vegas -- not for a round of binge gambling in despair over the direction of the country, but to attend the Yearly Kos convention.

The confab -- associated with the pro-Democrat megablog Daily Kos -- is already attracting a who's who list of minor progressive celebrities, including David Sirota, former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsak, a panel on Plamegate including Abassador Joe Wilson, Larry Johnson and Jane Hamsher; and North Carolina's own Rep. Brad Miller leading a panel on ecomomics.

What caught my eye was a recent announcement that it will feature a panel on "The Impact of the South on U.S. Politics." Excellent, I thought -- bloggers and blog-followers from around the country will have a chance to take on the big issue of our time: how progressive can tackle the "Solid South."

But my enthusiasm vanished when I read the panel description:

"The South is a large region of the U.S., but does it hold an important place in the country's politics? "The South's Importance in the American Political Arena" is a panel discussion by a group of acclaimed political writers - Thomas Schaller, Jerome Armstrong, Steve Jarding and Dave "Mudcat" Saunders."

From what I know of them, these are all nice enough people. But what insight can they give us on the South and U.S. politics? Let's do a quick run-down:

1) Tom Schaller is prof at U of Maryland-Baltimore County, best known for his view that Democrats should write off the South. Consider this gem from November 2003:

"Trying to recapture the South is a futile, counterproductive exercise for Democrats because the South is no longer the swing region. It has swung: Richard Nixon's 'Southern strategy' of 1968 has reached full fruition."

So much for the South's Importance in the American Politica Arena.

2) Next up is Jerome Armstrong, who's only experience in Southern politics that one can divine is his active role in ex-Virginia Gov. Mark Warner's bid for president in 2008.

3) And then there's Steve Jarding and "Mudcat" Saunders, the media's favorite go-to guys for colorful quotes about why Democrats should pass on social issues and focus on NASCAR, hunting, and aligning party politics to speak to "the white male," as if that's a useful category. (This apparently also includes rehabilitating the image of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, which Saunders is quick to note "has two black members.")

I'm sure all will have something interesting to say, but what's missing from this picture?

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 Jarding and Mudcat 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.