Old-Fashioned Southern Democrats

Ark. Congressional District #1 abuts Okla. #2, where pretty-good-guy Dan Boren is our token Democrat congresscritter.

This is leftover old-South Democrat territory. Old-fashioned conservative Democrats (like our friend at HB describes himself). Outside of the major cities, rural Oklahoma was, since statehood, and to some degree in many places I suppose still is, Democrat in local politics, even though the whole state tends to go Republican for Presidents.

Until Henry Bellmon was elected Okla. governor in 1962, there hadn't been a Republican governor in Oklahoma since statehood (nor a Republican governor throughout the South). You won't find my dad mentioned in the late, great Mr. Bellmon's online bios (Wikipedia, OSU), but as a major supporter and organizer of the Republican party in Oklahoma, he was given a whole chapter in Bellmon's autobio book (Amazon). Can you tell I'm proud Dad had a major hand in changing the Republican party in Oklahoma from loser RINOs to a serious party? In the last Presidential election, Oklahoma was the only state in the country that had every county go for the Republican candidate. (Map)

For Oklahomans and other Suth'r'ners who aren't Democrat anymore (or as Democrat), it's as folks like Rick Perry say, the Democrat party left them, not the other way 'round.