which party has the bigger problem?

[Gustaf]

The South seems to vote more on a general feel than on concrete issues. This means that it's probably harder to swing as long as Republicans can successfully portray teh Dem candidate as a Northeastern liberal. I think a moderately populist Southerner could still take Arkansas, Lousiana and Florida, possibly also Tennessee and Virginia. I'm not really sure which will be hardest. However, it's obviously a bigger problem for the Democrats than it is for the Republicans.

If we reduce the South to just the confederacy and count the Northeast as PA-MD and Northeastwards (including DC as well) the South wins in EV 153 v 117 and 131 v 95 in congressmen. (senators are tied, but with the current situation, counting Jeffords as a Democrat, the GOP holds the South 18-4 while the Democrats only have a 15-7 advantage in the Northeast.)

[Gustaf]

A18, it's not about winnign every state, but winning enough states to win an election...last time a Democratic presidential candidate even won a majority of the national popular vote was 1976, before that 1964 and before that 1944.

[Gustaf]

Funny how yet another thread got hijacked by the Pennsylvanians. Damn Pennsylvanians, they try to steal everything from us...damn...*mutters incoherently to self*