PANEL: McCorkle, Barth on Southern leadership

Political consultant Mac McCorkle and Hendrix College proofessor Jay Barth are up for a panel discussion on Southern leadership moderated by former US Congressman Glen Browder of Alabama.

Up first is McCorkle, who is focusing much of his discussion on former NC Gov. Terry Sanford, to whom McCorkle served as an aide. McCorkle makes a number of interesting observations on Sanford's leadership style. McCorkle says that Sanford would be disappointed by the lack of leadership displayed by many of the leaders in the South. McCorkle says Sanford rejected the idea of limiting government to the "best and the brightest," instead working to involve people from all walks of life.

Barth follows with a presentation on the factors that have stymied leadership in the South. Barth says that the politics of emotion, which began during the 70s, and a resistance to diversity are the crucial reasons that the South as a region cannot lead.

Glen Browder closes the panel discussion in agreement with Barth's earlier statement that the South can't lead the rest of the country, saying that we can't even lead ourselves. Browder also says that the region must build race into our leadership and recognize the role of race in the legacy of the South. "We've got to break through the partisan trap. We've got to avoid electing leaders who run far-left as a Democrat, far-right as a Republican," says Browder.