The Solid South

Interesting piece from the Economist, via The Moderate Voice, concerning the shrinkage of the GOP down to its Deep South base. If this trend continues, it would mark a fascinating reversal of history. From 1865-1964, the Democratic Party was defined almost exclusively by "The Solid South," and not very competitive anywhere else, certainly not nationally (the Democrats won a grand total of four Presidential elections from 1860 until 1932, and even then had only two winning candidates; and you could well argue that 1912 was a fluke).

UPDATE: Kevin Phillips, via Washington Monthly, calls this the "Texification" of the Republic Party. That hurts, but it's probably sadly accurate, given the paleolithic nature of the Texas Republican Party Platform.

UPDATE 2: Matthew Yglesias respectfully dissents. Good, thoughtful comments, too.