Democrats and the South

Here's an odd political posting for this blog but I've been thinking about this for a while.

Looking back at the Democratic candidates for president over the last century (and change) gives you this:

North South
2004 Kerry (Mass) L 2000 Gore (Tenn.) L (although I'm
not sure if Gore was considered a true Southerner)
1988 Dukasis (Mass) L 1996 Clinton (Ark.) W
1984 Mondale (Minn.) L 1992 Clinton (Ark) W
1972 McGovern (SD) L 1980 Carter (GA) L
1968 Humphreys (Minn) L 1976 Carter (GA) W
1960 JFK (Mass.) W/shot 1964 Johnson (TX) W
1956/1952 Stevenson L/L 1948 Truman (Missouri) W (is Missouri part of the South? It was a slave state until the end of the Civil War.)
1932-44 FDR (NY) 4W/died 1908/1900/1896 W.J.Bryan (FLA) L/L/L
1928 Smith (NY) L
1924 Davis (NY) L
1920 Cox (Cin.) L
1912/1916 Wilson (NJ) W/W (Wilson technically was a Yankee but was born in the South and was an open white supremacist.)
1904 Parker (NY) L
1892 Cleveland (NY) W (Last true Yankee who didn't die in the course of office.)

The last Northern Democrat to serve out his full terms of office was Woodrow Wilson who had strong Southern ties. Overall the South's record is 5-5 (going back to WJB--post-1908, it's 5-2). Overall the North's is 8-11 (half of which is from FDR). Since the Civil Rights era, the North is 0-5; the South is 4-2.

I've never heard the Democrats even mention this. I don't think a Southern candidate is necessary but it might be a consideration.