Southern Democrats

Nicol C. Rae has a remarkable ability to pinpoint key political movements and factions, and to write about them in an accessible and perceptive way. This was true of "The Decline and Fall of Liberal Republicans," and it is also the case with "Southern Democrats." Rae provides a fantastic thumbnail sketch of the modern Democratic Party, and the role of Southerners in it from the days of Harry S. Truman through the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and Jimmy Carter up to the dawn of the Clinton era. Like "The Decline and Fall of Liberal Republicans," Rae's book could benefit from an update that would fully cover not only the Clinton era, but also the rise and current prominence of politicians like North Carolina Senator John Edwards and Louisiana Senator John Breaux. Rae's book must be highly recommended for anyone interested in modern American politics, and particularly for those interested in regional and geographic factions.

As a Southerner, I find it interesting that the Oxford University Press considered us an 'influential political faction' in the Democratic Party. Because of course we are, but we like to be quiet about these matters. The author's interviews with southern politicians are particularly fascinating. He has opened a conversation with the general public with this book. The book is a bit dated, but it records what is good and right and true about Southern Democrats. And I feel that every Southerner needs to learn this, or refresh their memory.