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CNN Sunday Morning

Interview With Hastings Wyman

Aired November 09, 2003 - 07:16   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


RENAY SAN MIGUEL, CNN ANCHOR: Well, George Wallace, Barry Goldwater, Adlai Stevenson all names from the political past who carried significant portions of the South but lost the presidency. Recently though, the South has mirrored the rest of the country.
For a look at how the South is shaping up this time, we turn to Hastings Wyman, South Carolina native, and since 1978 has published and written a newsletter, the "Southern Political Report." He joins us now from Washington.

Mr. Wyman, thanks for being with us today.

HASTINGS WYMAN, "SOUTHERN POLITICAL REPORT": Glad to be here.

SAN MIGUEL: Well, even without Republicans winning the governorships this past Tuesday, I mean, isn't it likely that, barring disaster, President Bush would have won Kentucky and Mississippi again in 2004? He won both in 2000 with double digits.

WYMAN: Oh, I think the importance of those victories is not that Bush gained states that he didn't have already. But I do think it was an important victory in both states. The Democratic candidates used economic issues and the Bush economic policies against the Republicans. And in both states they proved to have no traction, which I think is a significant victory for the White House.

SAN MIGUEL: So what issues do you think the Democrats are going to have to push with southern voters in 2004, Iraq, national security? I mean, is that a likely winner for them?

WYMAN: Well, I think that's probably what they'll have to push, plus maybe some of the social issues. But those are not good issues for them in the South. Most of the southern voters tend to rally around the flag during times of crisis and are not -- the peace movement that is so strong in the Northeast and parts of the West is simply not a big factor -- as big a factor in the South. So I think the Democrats start out way behind in the South, especially if the economy continues to improve.

SAN MIGUEL: You mentioned the flag. It was a different kind of flag that got Howard Dean in trouble this past week, the Confederate flag flap. What kind of support was Howard Dean getting in the South, and what kind of damage do you think that statement is likely to do him?

WYMAN: He's had significant support among Democratic Party activists throughout the region; the same sort of folks that like him elsewhere. They're not as influential in the South perhaps as elsewhere, but he's had some support.

The comment had the potential to damage him mainly because of the importance of the South Carolina Democratic primary, which comes right after New Hampshire, and which will be the first primary with a substantial African-American vote, probably approaching 50 percent. That comment could heard -- about the Confederate flag -- could heard him with African-American voters and potentially damage his primary showing.

SAN MIGUEL: Well, both the media flap about Howard Dean and the Confederate flag and the southern voters he's trying to attract, and the loss of the Republican -- the loss of the governorships of the Democrats had a lot of northern pundits talking about the "typical" southern voter. And I'm wondering if you noticed a lot of stereotyping and condescension going on.

I think "The New York Times" had quoted somebody as saying -- after Howard Dean said what he said -- "My gosh. Does he have any southerners on his staff at all?" What do you think about this -- you know, if there is some kind of stereotyping going on here?

WYMAN: Oh, I -- you know, I don't think Dean was trying to stereotype all southern voters. I think he was trying to -- you know, had he said instead of -- as I think he said in the past -- a gun rack on the back of the truck instead of a Confederate flag, I don't know that anyone would have noticed it. I think he was trying to figure out a way to simplify and maybe make a southern version of Joe six pack, trying to come up with a quick and easy way to identify lower income white voters who have moved from the Democrats to the Republicans in recent years.

SAN MIGUEL: But what about the observers of the whole scene, the national political observers? Do you think that there's some kind of stereotyping going on there about what makes the "typical" southern voter?

WYMAN: Well, there's a certain amount. The South is not exactly like the rest of the country. Our history is very different; our racial makeup is different. The issues that have divided the people have been different.

So I think to some extent some stereotyping goes on. But the South is also very, very complex. We've had a number of southern presidents recently. I think most people are becoming aware that it's not a region of united yahoos, as some folks would have had it.

SAN MIGUEL: Hastings Wyman publishes the "Southern Political Report" newsletter. He joins us from Washington.

Thank you, Mr. Wyman. We appreciate your time.

WYMAN: Thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired November 9, 2003 - 07:16   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RENAY SAN MIGUEL, CNN ANCHOR: Well, George Wallace, Barry Goldwater, Adlai Stevenson all names from the political past who carried significant portions of the South but lost the presidency. Recently though, the South has mirrored the rest of the country.
For a look at how the South is shaping up this time, we turn to Hastings Wyman, South Carolina native, and since 1978 has published and written a newsletter, the "Southern Political Report." He joins us now from Washington.

Mr. Wyman, thanks for being with us today.

HASTINGS WYMAN, "SOUTHERN POLITICAL REPORT": Glad to be here.

SAN MIGUEL: Well, even without Republicans winning the governorships this past Tuesday, I mean, isn't it likely that, barring disaster, President Bush would have won Kentucky and Mississippi again in 2004? He won both in 2000 with double digits.

WYMAN: Oh, I think the importance of those victories is not that Bush gained states that he didn't have already. But I do think it was an important victory in both states. The Democratic candidates used economic issues and the Bush economic policies against the Republicans. And in both states they proved to have no traction, which I think is a significant victory for the White House.

SAN MIGUEL: So what issues do you think the Democrats are going to have to push with southern voters in 2004, Iraq, national security? I mean, is that a likely winner for them?

WYMAN: Well, I think that's probably what they'll have to push, plus maybe some of the social issues. But those are not good issues for them in the South. Most of the southern voters tend to rally around the flag during times of crisis and are not -- the peace movement that is so strong in the Northeast and parts of the West is simply not a big factor -- as big a factor in the South. So I think the Democrats start out way behind in the South, especially if the economy continues to improve.

SAN MIGUEL: You mentioned the flag. It was a different kind of flag that got Howard Dean in trouble this past week, the Confederate flag flap. What kind of support was Howard Dean getting in the South, and what kind of damage do you think that statement is likely to do him?

WYMAN: He's had significant support among Democratic Party activists throughout the region; the same sort of folks that like him elsewhere. They're not as influential in the South perhaps as elsewhere, but he's had some support.

The comment had the potential to damage him mainly because of the importance of the South Carolina Democratic primary, which comes right after New Hampshire, and which will be the first primary with a substantial African-American vote, probably approaching 50 percent. That comment could heard -- about the Confederate flag -- could heard him with African-American voters and potentially damage his primary showing.

SAN MIGUEL: Well, both the media flap about Howard Dean and the Confederate flag and the southern voters he's trying to attract, and the loss of the Republican -- the loss of the governorships of the Democrats had a lot of northern pundits talking about the "typical" southern voter. And I'm wondering if you noticed a lot of stereotyping and condescension going on.

I think "The New York Times" had quoted somebody as saying -- after Howard Dean said what he said -- "My gosh. Does he have any southerners on his staff at all?" What do you think about this -- you know, if there is some kind of stereotyping going on here?

WYMAN: Oh, I -- you know, I don't think Dean was trying to stereotype all southern voters. I think he was trying to -- you know, had he said instead of -- as I think he said in the past -- a gun rack on the back of the truck instead of a Confederate flag, I don't know that anyone would have noticed it. I think he was trying to figure out a way to simplify and maybe make a southern version of Joe six pack, trying to come up with a quick and easy way to identify lower income white voters who have moved from the Democrats to the Republicans in recent years.

SAN MIGUEL: But what about the observers of the whole scene, the national political observers? Do you think that there's some kind of stereotyping going on there about what makes the "typical" southern voter?

WYMAN: Well, there's a certain amount. The South is not exactly like the rest of the country. Our history is very different; our racial makeup is different. The issues that have divided the people have been different.

So I think to some extent some stereotyping goes on. But the South is also very, very complex. We've had a number of southern presidents recently. I think most people are becoming aware that it's not a region of united yahoos, as some folks would have had it.

SAN MIGUEL: Hastings Wyman publishes the "Southern Political Report" newsletter. He joins us from Washington.

Thank you, Mr. Wyman. We appreciate your time.

WYMAN: Thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com