For what it’s worth, I’d point out that although the South has acquired an unpleasant reputation for being racist and backward in certain areas, it’s only fair to remember that Chicago under Daley produced some of the nastier moments of white racism when MLK went there, and had some of the most deliberately segregated areas, despite federal directives ordering integration. Equally, some of the vilest parts of the militia movement have been in Michigan and Oregon. That said, it is fair comment that the GOP, which has generally refused to condemn such extremists, is now concentrated in the South, and seems increasingly to be dictated to by Southern activists of various stripes. It’s not completely surprising that people now associate extremism with the South, even though the actual picture is rather more complicated. For me, the saddest aspect of GOP dominance of the South is that it has done the South very little good. Look at which states have the poorest records on health, education, and poverty. You’ll find that the South consistently has the worst performers in these areas - Alabama and Mississippi come to mind.