Spaulding Distinguished Research Professor of History James Cobb takes to the pages of the New York Times to describe Republican support in the South:
Lest we go overboard in emphasizing the peculiarities of working-class white Southerners, we should remember that racially tinged, working-class white conservatism is a fixture throughout much of rural America. Also is it really all that striking that nearly 6 in 10 working-class whites in the South complained of federal favoritism toward blacks when nearly 5 in 10 responded similarly in the Northeast and the Midwest?
An authority in his field (and friend of the blog), Cobb is a favorite of reporters and opinion editors across the nation. He does a great job for UGA and the Franklin College bringing his scholarship into the sphere of popular media, where it is sorely needed.