By CQ Staff

The biggest issues in the presidential election, Iraq and the economy, play out differently in the 24 states holding primaries on Super Tuesday. CQ Politics talked with political observers in those states to flesh out why the economy, Iraq and a range of other issues are important to voters. Our series continues with a look at the Southern states that are holding presidential voting events on Feb. 5.

The Republican and Democratic contests will have very different aspects in the six Super Tuesday states in the South, as defined by CQ Politics: Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, Oklahoma and Arkansas, where both parties have contests, and West Virginia, where Republicans alone will hold presidential nominating conventions on Tuesday.

The Republican primary electorate in the nation’s most conservative region leans strongly to the right. Although national public opinion polls show the war in Iraq is strongly unpopular with the general electorate, Republican voters in the South are more favorable to President Bush’s Iraq policy — as are three of the remaining GOP contenders, Arizona Sen. John McCain and former governors Mitt Romney of Massachusetts and Mike Huckabee of Arkansas. The sizable evangelical Christian constituency in the region mainly holds strongly conservative views on social issues, giving a ray of hope to Huckabee, a former Southern Baptist minister who has been struggling of late to stay viable in the race.

McCain has won both Southern primaries held so far this year, though by relatively narrow pluralities over Huckabee in South Carolina on Jan. 19 and Romney in Florida on Jan. 29.

The region’s Democratic electorate is not as liberal as those in more northerly or western climes, but party voters likely will be generally satisfied about a choice that has boiled down to Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York and Barack Obama of Illinois. One of the big questions, though, is whether the racial voting patterns that showed up in exit polls on the South Carolina Democratic primary on Jan. 29 will continue throughout a region in which black voters, in most cases, make up substantial portions of the Democratic electorate. Obama, who is seeking to become the nation’s first African-American president, was boosted to an easy win in South Carolina as he captured about 80 of the black vote in a state where black voters made up just more than half of the electorate. But despite his efforts to project cross-racial appeal and his ability to draw many white voters in non-Southern states, Obama drew just 25 percent of the white vote in South Carolina.

Two candidates still in the running have direct ties to one of the states voting on Super Tuesday. Clinton was the first lady of Arkansas during her husband Bill Clinton’s long tenure as governor of that state, which preceded his election as president in 1992. Huckabee himself served more than 10 years as governor of Arkansas.

Fred Thompson , the actor and former Tennessee senator, competed in the Republican presidential nominating campaign but dropped out after a series of poor performances capped by his defeat in the South Carolina GOP primary.

Here is CQ Politics’ roundup of the Southern states:

GEORGIA

Michael Ryan

Editorial Page Editor

Augusta Chronicle

“Well, judging from what we hear from our readers and friends here, national security is still [the] number one [issue]. The economy is obviously a momentary concern that’s risen to the top. Our feeling is, our fortunes are going to ebb and flow, and national security issues are forever with us.”

“Georgians are like most Americans, only more so. They’re concerned about terrorists, terrorism, staying on the offense. This is a very patriotic state, and a state with a lot of military folks. We have Fort Gordon, a signal corps [base] which has pretty much had a constant role [in Iraq.] Generally speaking, they’ve had someone there most of the time. Families saying ‘goodbye’ and ‘hello’ is not lost on us by any means.”

“I think just socially that Georgia is pretty similar to South Carolina and Alabama. No state is just going to follow another’s lead. Iowa and New Hampshire ignored each other. I think we have similar sensibilities and certainly Mike Huckabee is banking on popularity in the Southern states to try and resuscitate his candidacy. We’re fiercely independent and nobody likes pollsters or editorial writers telling them how to vote.”

Paul D. Grant

Assistant Professor of Political Science

Macon State College

“Right now, it’s the economy. We’ve seen that Georgia has a high rate of foreclosures and we have lost two major auto plants, Ford and GM plants, in the last year or so. The economic issues are the most important here ... Especially what can be done to improve the economy of the state.”

Dr. Michael Binford

Associate Professor of Political Science

Georgia State University

“The most pressing local concern now is water. The drought has had a significant effect on personal lives and political education. Most people don’t feel like the government has done enough.”

“We usually see moderate to low turnout. It will likely be higher than normal because of the competitiveness in both parties, and I think the fact that Barack Obama is doing well is going to increase turnout within the Democratic Party.”

TENNESSEE

Ryan Underwood

National Editor

The Tennessean (Nashville)

“The big theme we’re looking at is just the split in both parties. It’s more pronounced on the Republican side. When Fred Thompson was in the race, he had those votes locked up. With his departure — while people knew it was happening or likely to happen — there’s been low turnout on the Republican side, low so far. They were hoping Thompson would still be in, and did not want to waste votes.”

“To be strong on social issues is important ... Tennessee went for Bush [in 2004], social issues are still clearly at the top of their minds ... We have a Blue Dog Democrat Gov. [ Phil Bredesen ], we’re pretty socially conservative when lined up with the rest of Democrats.”

“The big topic throughout last summer and fall was immigration. It was really huge. We’ve had, in Nashville for a number of years, exurban areas see a huge influx of immigrant populations. Small towns don’t really know what to do — everything from terrorism concerns to jobs to providing social services. There’s been, for lack of a better term, a heavy strain of nativism for the last several months.

“In terms of the economy, it hasn’t been as bad here. ... In Nashville in particular, we’ve got a wide array industries. Iraq remains a big issue among people, especially with [Kentucky’s] Fort Campbell so close, it’s traditionally a top issue.”

“Tennessee is not completely a swing state but without having to register parties, and so it’s election cycle by election cycle. I don’t think it’s strictly partisan.”

John Geer

Professor of Political Science

Vanderbilt University

“We have African-American voters, more than the national average, which makes the Democrat race different.”

“I think it looks clear African Americans will go for Obama. Will it be 80-20 like in South Carolina? Probably not. But 70-30 is a big split, especially when talking about one-quarter of the voting public.”

Heather Larsen-Price

Assistant Professor, Political Science

University of Memphis

“We have the same issues [as] nationally. The economy and Iraq. I think [there is] just the fear of a recession ... immigration is somewhat of an issue here.”

ALABAMA

David Lanoue

Chairman, Political Science Department

University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa

“Support for the [Iraq] war is higher here than it is in other areas in the country. But people who vote Democratic in Alabama are probably as anti-war as the rest of the Democrats.”

“There is large military contingent here. On the Republican side, there is a concern on national security issues, terrorism and winning the war on Iraq.

Natalie Davis

Professor, Political Science

Birmingham-Southern College

“We have an awful lot of Hispanic immigrants, legal or not, throughout the state. Voters are having the same issues as other points of the country.”

Virginia Smith

State Editor

The Birmingham News

“You still have a lot of poor people and people living on the edge. Health care and gas prices are issues ... a fairly large [part of the] population doesn’t have health insurance, and that is a big problem among the working poor.”

Katherine Lee

City Editor

Tuscaloosa News

“We are about to start the legislative session on the same day as the election. We are facing an $800 million deficit.”

“The Republicans [voters] are feeling more on the fight against terrorism and safety, and Democrats are speaking more about bringing the troops home.”

OKLAHOMA

Susan Ellerbach

Managing Editor

Tulsa World

“According to our most recent Oklahoma Poll [completed last month], Oklahomans are concerned about illegal immigration and education. In the history of our poll, it was the first time since mid-2004 that education was not by itself in first place.”

“Last year’s Oklahoma Legislature passed legislation that is, perhaps, the nation’s most restrictive when it comes to state services provided for illegal immigrants. It also puts pressure on businesses to make sure that all of their employees are in this country legally ... We have found that among registered voters, this was a very popular piece of legislation.”

“The economy right now is fairly stable. Oklahoma has benefited as a state by the rise in oil prices. Housing prices, value and sales have not fallen as steeply as they have in other parts of the nation. Of course, we also didn’t see the market increase as dramatically as other parts of the country.

Ed Kelley

Editor

The Oklahoman (Oklahoma City)

“Oklahomans worry about the economy like people do around the country, but the fallout from sub-prime lending and higher fuel prices is not as deep as it is in other states. Much of the growth of Oklahoma’s economy comes from oil and natural gas, and right now things are pretty good compared to other places, particularly in the Oklahoma City and Tulsa areas.”

“Things would turn for the worse in Oklahoma if Congress this year levied punitive taxes on the energy industry, like a windfall profits tax. Oklahomans want presidential candidates who understand the economics of energy — not just fossil fuels, but all sources of energy.”

Gary Copeland

Professor of Political Science

University of Oklahoma, Norman

“We’re pro-military and that’s due to the fact we have sizable military outposts here. Therefore, having a fairly strong defense posture is important in both parties.”

“Presidential elections have traditionally been a non-event in the state of Oklahoma. Our primaries have traditionally been well after nominees were determined. And we’re a state where the Republican usually carries the general election easily. So until recently, we’ve never really seen any campaigning — four years ago [in a competitive Democratic primary] was first time people here cast meaningful votes for president. So we find being actively involved in the presidential primary as a novelty.”

ARKANSAS

Janine A. Parry

Associate Professor, Political Science and director of the annual Arkansas Poll

University of Arkansas

“There are three issues that just sort of shift position every year: the economy, education, and health care ... I think that if you were to try to get [voters] to specifically think of issues beyond ... you would see security and the war in Iraq and all of those sorts of things emerge. ”

“The [2006 elections] were just a drubbing for the Republicans... We have a really demoralized and divided Republican Party here right now.”

John Brummett

Political Columnist, Arkansas News Bureau

Author of “High Wire: From the Back Roads to the Beltway, the Education of Bill Clinton”

“I think like everywhere else, the economy is at this moment the chief concern. But Arkansas tends to be somewhat insulated from national economic indicators... the sub-prime mortgage crises aren’t felt as strongly here nearly so as they are in other places. The vote Tuesday on both sides comes down to the fact that there’s a favorite son on one side and favorite daughter on the other.”

“There’s a great deal of good will here for Bill Clinton and she [ Hillary Rodham Clinton ] receives that good will because of him. When you ask what people want, people in Arkansas wouldn’t mind Bill Clinton back in the White House, I imagine.”

“There are a lot of farmers in east Arkansas — rice, soy, cotton. And they went with George W. Bush and they now regret it.”

WEST VIRGINIA (Republican-only convention on Feb. 5)

Robert Rupp

Political Scientist

West Virginia Wesleyan College

“[On voters’ minds] is probably an emphasis on food and family and service. So number one is the economy, even though the state is doing its best it has in decades. We’re a state that’s always worried about the economy, given our profile.”

“We’re too north of the Bible Belt to really call it the Bible Belt, but we have a value focus on that. And also, we have one of the highest proportions of [individuals who have] military service. ... But I think the economy would still take precedence over values, and you can’t underestimate the power of military.”

“The state ranks as one of the lowest in terms of per capita income. It’s a small state and is at an economic disadvantage; for that reason then, the economy becomes important. [But] this is probably the best economy the state has had in the past 10 years. Part of that is just because of the price of coal and natural gas ... so the concern is for the economy, but the facts are pretty positive about the economy. But given this kind of political landscape, the economy is always on people’s minds. Even when times are better, we still worry about it.”

Bob Benenson, Grigs Crawford, Greg Giroux, Lauren Phillips and Marc Rehmann contributed to this story.