As a southerner to hear a Governor elect...

[GulfCoast66]

To speak about Diversity with a Southern Accent warmed my heart.

Perhaps LBJ was just a couple of generations off and we Southerners will return to the party of the people. A person can hope.

[3catwoman3]

1. This northerner will...

...hope right along with you.

[Dawson Leery]

2. From Yankee New England.

I am too glad to hear it.

[underthematrix]

3. As an African American I loved his twang.

And then he said his WIFE WAS THE LOVE OF HIS LIFE and she would make a great first lady. I just fell in love with him at that point.

There are so many good white men and we have ALL of them. I'm so happy tonight. So hopeful there's more goodness to come.

I'm so excited about all the diversity but the most important thing is that it's good people standing of all colors, orientations, and faiths saying a resounding NO to hate and division.

[GulfCoast66]

6. Mr. Underthematrix,

There is at least one white Southerner who tries to understand. My family has been here coming up on 400 years and most of the time we have treated those different than us in a shitty way. Changed with my Father.

Some of us know that ‘progressive’ and ‘populist’ means something different in Louisiana than it does in Wisconsin. I am a proud Liberal!

You have a great evening and enjoy our southern win.

Take care.

[underthematrix]

7. Yes you're right. It's our win. And

I'm Ms.

[GulfCoast66]

8. Whoops! My apologies madam!

[underthematrix]

9. LOL no worries.

I'm just here dancing around my house like I just won the largest lottery in history

[arthritisR_US]

12. You both give me great pride and joy..

[Wounded Bear]

4. Been hoping for a New South to rise up...

One not based on bigotry and hatred, but steeped in inclusion and fellowship.

VA is far from the deep south, I know, but I think we flipped a couple of seats in GA, too.

Change is a'coming.

[AlphaCharley]

5. I hope so. I love the south and it kills me they let Repugs do this to them.

[Scruffy1]

10. In many ways I find the South overall less racist than much of the North.

Even many of the Republicans I have met in the north are not racists and they resent being described as such. The Republican machines in the South follow the old tried and true pattern of maintaing the status quo providing patronage jobs,and sucking up to the big money. It seems to me that most people vote the way they were raised and it takes at least a generation to change that. The pattern of rural and urban voters is much the same as in the North: Democratic cities and Republican rural voters. States like Mississppi have no large cities and there economy is mostly agricultural. One thing I know for sure is that you won't win any votes calling somebody names and calling all white people racist is a losing proposition.
Another thing that sets aside the Southern states is their rediculous state constitutions which date from the white supremacy days. Nearly everything that a municipality does has to go through the state legislators. It was originally designed to make sure the publc school (read black) were poorly funded so the taxpayers didn't have to pay much and could send their children to private schools. This is the reason the schools are defacto segregated today in many parts of the South.

[ProfessorGAC]

11. Many Of The Republicans You Have Met In The North. . .

. . .who resent being called racist are delusional or lying. They're racists.

And i'm a white northerner who's been seeing this stuff for 61 years.