The South and Presidential Politics 2012

Red States and Purple States - A Roundtable for Journalists

Susan King, dean of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Ferrel Guillory, professor of the practice of journalism and director of the UNC Program on Public Life, invited journalists to a roundtable discussion on the eve of the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte.

Thank you to the sponsors of this event: The Charlotte Observer, JOMC Board of Advisers members Cathy Roche and Ken Eudy, and JOMC supporters Adam Bernstein, Jonathan Buchan, Ray Ferris, Peter Gilchrist, Parks Helms and Anthony Lathrop.

Program Materials

• Ferrel Guillory: American South Politics presentation; Data on the South; Data on North Carolina; North Carolina's Journey to Becoming a Battleground State
• Scott Keeter: The Political Distinctiveness of the South presentation; Analysis of Party Affiliation
• Peter Coclanis: Recession and Recovery in North Carolina
• Kareem Crayton: Obama and the Black Political Establishment; White Voters and Black Candidates in Majority Black Districts
• Jacquelyn Hall: Southern Oral History Program; The Long Civil Rights Movement and the Political Uses of the Past
• Gene Nichol: Poverty charts of the South
• Jesse White: Economic Development in the South 2012

The Charlotte Observer hosted the roundtable, which featured scholars and commentators from UNC Chapel Hill, the preeminent university in the study of the American South.  The event, designed for journalists covering the convention, featured data and analysis of trends and issues influencing Southern politics and the future of the region.

Event Details

When: 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 2.

Where: The auditorium of The Charlotte Observer (600 S. Tryon St, Charlotte, NC 28202), located just three blocks from the Charlotte Convention Center.

Who: This is an invitation only event for journalists covering the Democratic National Convention.  If you have any questions about this event, please contact  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

The roundtable featured special guests Judy Woodruff, senior correspondent of PBS NewsHour, and Scott Keeter, director of survey research at the Pew Research Center.

The invited faculty from UNC were:

• Hodding Carter, University Professor of Public Policy and Leadership
• Peter Coclanis, UNC history professor and director, Global Research Institute, co-editor, "A Way Forward: Building a Globally Competitive South"
• Kareem Crayton, UNC professor of law, scholar on election laws
• Jacquelyn Hall, UNC history professor and director emeritus, Southern Oral History Project
• Gene Nichol, professor of law and director, UNC Center on Work, Poverty and Opportunity
• Jesse White, UNC adjunct professor of government and former executive director of Southern Growth Policies Board

Media organizations interested in talking to any of the UNC speakers should direct inquiries to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. at UNC News Services.