Politics: Down and Out in the Deep South

Now playing: Slate V, a video-only site from the world's leading online magazine. Visit Slate V at www.slatev.com.
Politics Down and Out in the Deep South Southern states used to be must-wins if you wanted to be the Republican nominee. Not anymore. By David Weigel Posted Thursday, Mar 08, 2012, at 12:15 AM ET KNOXVILLE, Tenn.—Shortly after 9:30 on Saturday, Lloyd Daughtery sat down, rested his cane on his chair, and retold his Ronald Reagan story. The Tennessee Conservative Union, which Daughtery has run since the 1980s, had wrapped up its annual banquet, and its members were slowly finding their way to the hospitality suite, so Daughtery had some down time. "President Reagan was speaking in Washington, and he invited me backstage," said Daugherty. "He liked to talk to people after the events, take the pulse. I'd been running his campaign in Tennessee. He asked me, 'How do people think I'm doing?' I told him. 'Down where I come from, they think you're the best president since Jefferson Davis.' He said, 'Jefferson Davis? That's a great compliment.' " When he delivered Reagan's lines, he waved his arms; he was wearing presidential seal cufflinks, given to him by the 40th president. "A couple of months later, he's in Tennessee," recalls Daugherty "He remembers my comment. And he asks, 'Am I still the best president since Jefferson Davis?' I say, 'Yes, sir, I think you are.' And he says: 'Well, I ain't lost a war yet!' " It was a nostalgic night. When representatives of the four GOP presidential campaigns showed up to speak, two of them quoted Reagan at length. The Conservative of the Year award, handed out during dinner, was a plaque imprinted with the faces of three smiling, departed Republicans: Reagan, Barry Goldwater, and Jesse ... To continue reading, click here. Join the Fray: our reader discussion forum What did you think of this article? POST A MESSAGE | READ MESSAGES Also In Slate Saletan: What Happens to Students' Sex Habits When Colleges Stop Subsidizing Birth Control The Hidden Downside of the Super-Speedy New iPad How Would a "Contested Convention" Really Work?	Advertisement
Manage your newsletters subscription: Unsubscribe | Forward to a Friend | Advertising Information
Ideas on how to make something better? Send an e-mail to slatenewsletter@nl.slate.com. Copyright 2011 The Slate Group | Privacy Policy The Slate Group | c/o E-mail Customer Care | 1350 Connecticut Ave NW Suite 410 | Washington, D.C. 20036