AHC: Democrats Pursue a 'Western Strategy'

[Bashi-Bazouk]

Basically, I have this idea for a TL where the Democratic party, in the '60s and '70s, the Democratic party pursues a 'Western Strategy' in the vein of the GOP's Southern Strategy, where they reach out to the West by emphasizing farmers issues, moderating their social stances, etc., and electing a 'prairie populist' as president. Meanwhile, I would have the GOP stick with the Rockefeller wing and become the dominant party in the Northeast while Wallace's American Independent Party fills the gap and becomes a South-centric major party. Is this feasible up to the present day? Can I have Democrats winning the Great Plains and the Rockies while the Republicans win New England and the Northeast in 2016 with this late of a POD? If so, what might a potential Electoral Map look like?

 

[JamesBond88]

Is it possible? Yes. Is it likely? No. There just aren't the votes in the West, that is to say the prairies, to bother building a whole national strategy around it. If a candidate can win in Montana they can win in a lot of other states, and be competitive in areas like the South. There's almost no way both parties would pivot away from the South enough to allow a third party to gain any kind of traction. I personally think a party with the platform of the Dixiecrats could have done pretty well for awhile running third party, but any third party effort has to be organic to the South rather than a national party gaining ground.