Solid South? Kaine as the Status Quo Ante

This item of interest on Facing South from the Institute of Southern Studies.....

According to SurveyUSA, Bush's approval rating in the 13 southern states that he won in 2004 is below 50% in 8 states where a majority disapprove including Virginia. He's below 50% in two states, Louisiana and No. Carolina, where approve/disapprove is tied at 48% and 47% respectively; below 50% in Mississippi where approve/disapprove is 49%/47%; and above 50% in only Alabama and Texas.

In Virginia, only 42% approve of Bush while 52% disapprove.

Comparing the so-called solid south to the nation, Facing South says:

How does this compare to the rest of the country? Interestingly, out of the 10 states nationally with the highest approval ratings for Bush, only three are in the South. All the rest are from the West and Great Plains (in order of pro-Bush approval): Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, Nebraska, North Dakota, Montana, and Oklahoma. It's just one poll from one polling company. But maybe the GOP's lock on the South isn't so "solid" after all.

Now, it's unclear what the question was that elicited this response, but this could be good news for Kaine if he can tighten his connection to Warner in the voter's minds.

2/3rds of Virginia voters think the state is headed the right direction. Now more than half think that the national leadership is flawed.

So, Kaine's message is "why change from someone linked to an administration of which you heartily approve to someone linked to an administration of which you disapprove?"

Well, we all know how much Virginians hate change.