Most southern democrats remained loyal to the democratic party, at least in state and local elections. Take Georgia, we stayed under democratic control, governor and state legislature from the civil war until 2002 when we elected our first Republican governor and state legislature in our entire history. While the south as going republican after 1980, many states retained their Democratic governors and state legislatures along with senators and congressmen. It wasn’t until 1994 when the south finally had more Republican congressmen than Democratic. For the longest time Gingrich was the only Republican congressman in the state of Georgia and both our senators were democrats That is until 2002 when R Chambliss defeated D Cleland and in 2004 when R Isakson defeated D Zell Miller. .

No, the old guard remained loyal to the Democratic Party. Very few switched. The Switching they did was at the presidential level which they and the south tended to vote as America as a whole voted in 1980,all but 7 states went to Reagan 1984, all but one went to Reagan 1988 all but 11 went to Bush and even in 1992 the south was split between Republican and democratic candidates, Clinton carrying Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Arkansas, Louisiana and Missouri. Clinton carried Tennessee, Kentucky Arkansas, Louisiana, Missouri and Florida in 1996. Since 2000 the south has become fairly solid Republican in presidential elections.

It was the young that grew up Republican, not the old guard.

It's high past time that we start electing Americans to congress and the presidency who put America first instead of their political party. For way too long we have been electing Republicans and Democrats who happen to be Americans instead of Americans who happen to be Republicans and Democrats.