Is John Kerry right? Can Democrats win the White House without the South?

Sure. In fact, with the exception of Florida and maybe a border state or two, that's precisely what our nominee will try to do.

But with all due respect to Sen. Kerry, that's really not the right question.

The important question is this: Can Democrats win the White House without forcing George W. Bush to spend at least some time and resources protecting his Southern base? Can we win if the Bush campaign rightly feels free to pour every penny of its $200 million war chest into the handful of battleground states that will actually decide this election -- Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, et al.?

And the answer to that question is no.

Just another thought for New Hampshire voters to take with them today as they trudge through the ice and snow to do their bit for democracy....

POSTSCRIPT: It's been almost half a century since the Democratic party has elected a president without a Southern accent. Is that just an electoral fluke? Or does it tell us something important about what it takes for Democrats to win national elections? You make the call.