Remember all the talk from Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders downplaying Hillary Clinton's wins across the South? Well, some Democrats in these parts are fed up.
The head of the Democratic Party of Georgia joined with party chieftans from four other Southern states to send a message to Sanders to back off his characterizations of the South.
Sanders has dismissed Clinton's victories across the region - she swept Georgia and every other state in the SEC primary - as pickups in the "the most conservative part of this great country." And he said the scheduling of Southern states early in the Democratic primary "distorts reality."
The letter-writers argue that Sanders' rhetoric should "amplify our voice, not diminish them." Here's more:
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"Democrats ought to embrace the South and all regions to build an organization that can compete in all 50 states. We must continue winning states like Virginia and North Carolina, and we can't write off states like Tennessee and Georgia. Even Texas could turn blue in less than a generation. And beyond the presidential race, there are important statewide and other federal races happening every cycle. Boosting Democrats' chances in those states is vital to enacting a progressive agenda at the local level and in General Assemblies. This can only happen if we show up, speak to the region's needs, and compete for every vote, even in the face of long odds. That's how change really happens."
Georgia Democratic chair DuBose Porter signed the letter, along with the party chairs of South Carolina, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi. All are supporters of front-runner Hillary Clinton.
More: How Georgia Democrats plan to turn Georgia into a battleground state
Politico's Gabriel Debendetti offers some analysis on why the letter matters:
Even for sitting party officials who support Clinton, the act of sending such a missive is an unusual move — in the interest of party unity, many prefer not to show any preference between competing candidates when acting in their official capacity. But the Vermont senator's statements have become a source of constant chatter for high-level Democrats across the South.
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