Published on NCpedia (http://ncpedia.org)

Home > Yellow-Dog Democrat

Yellow-Dog Democrat [1]

Average: 3 (2 votes)

Yellow-Dog Democrat

by Dennis Isenbarger, 2006

Alabama Representative and Senator James Thomas Heflin (1869 - 1951). Image from the Biographical Dictionary of the United States Congress. [2]"Yellow-Dog Democrat," a popular term sometimes applied to ultra-loyal supporters of Democratic [3]candidates for public office, came into use in the third decade of the twentieth century. In 1928 Democratic senator Tom Heflin [4] of Alabama supported Republican Herbert Hoover [5] in his campaign for the presidency. Heflin's detractors, in response to his defection, declared that they would vote for a "yellow dog" before they would cast a ballot for a Republican [6]. The term, used as both a compliment and an insult, has continued to appear in North Carolina political speech.

Additional Resources:

Wilson, Reid. "Death of the 'Yellow Dog' Democrat." National Journal. August 25, 2011. http://www.nationaljournal.com/columns/on-the-trail/death-of-the-yellow-dog-democrat-20110825 [7] (accessed September 18, 2012).

"Jim Long, Insurance Commissioner and NCPP Board Member, Receives Honors." NC Prevention Partners Changing Lives. Fall 2008. http://www.ncpreventionpartners.org/ncpp/Document/Download?id=fcbb6590-d3f5-410c-a574-a644e418a0e6 [8] (accessed September 18, 2012).

"Democrats to honor Charles Malone." The Clayton News-Star. July 12, 2012. http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/07/21/2212953/club-notes.html [9]  (accessed September 18, 2012).

Image Credits:

"HEFLIN, James Thomas, (1869 - 1951)." Image from the Biographical Dictionary of the United States Congress. http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=H000446 [2] (accessed September 18, 2012).

Subjects: 
N.C. Industrial Revolution (1900-1929) [10]
Slogans, slang, and sayings [11]
UNC Press [12]
Authors: 
Isenbarger, Dennis [13]
From: 
Encyclopedia of North Carolina, University of North Carolina Press. [14]

1 January 2006 | Isenbarger, Dennis

State Library of North Carolina NC LIVE   NC Department of Cultural ResourcesInstitute of Museum and Library Services

About | Contact us
Contributors | How to contribute
Promote | Comments | Privacy
Staff login

Source URL: http://ncpedia.org/yellow-dog-democrat

Links:
[1] http://ncpedia.org/yellow-dog-democrat
[2] http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=H000446
[3] http://ncpedia.org/undefined
[4] http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/face/Article.jsp?id=h-2952
[5] http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/herberthoover
[6] http://ncpedia.org/republican-party
[7] http://www.nationaljournal.com/columns/on-the-trail/death-of-the-yellow-dog-democrat-20110825
[8] http://www.ncpreventionpartners.org/ncpp/Document/Download?id=fcbb6590-d3f5-410c-a574-a644e418a0e6
[9] http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/07/21/2212953/club-notes.html
[10] http://ncpedia.org/category/subjects/nc-industrial-rev
[11] http://ncpedia.org/category/subjects/slang
[12] http://ncpedia.org/category/subjects/unc-press
[13] http://ncpedia.org/category/authors/isenbarger-dennis
[14] http://ncpedia.org/category/entry-source/encyclopedia-