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Confused as they may seem elsewhere, Republicans are doing pretty well in, of all places, the South. Until recent years, Southerners had three choices: they could be conservative Democrats, middle-road Democrats or liberal Democrats. Now the G.O.P. is giving many voters a respectable opposition party to repair to. And Democrats are reacting to a threat they have not faced in a century. A state-by-state rundown of the less and less Solid South:

∙ALABAMA. Two years ago, the Republicans had moribund organizations in ten of Alabama's 67 counties. Thanks to Gadsden Businessman James Mar tin's near victory in 1962 over Democratic Senator Lister Hill and to the efforts of Republican State Chairman John Grenier, the G.O.P. now has organizations in 63 counties, plans to put up candidates for all eight congressional seats in 1964. Martin stands a good chance of winning one of them.

∙ ARKANSAS. This is a Goldwater state, but "Mr. Republican" is a Rockefeller —Winthrop, that is. Since becoming national committeeman in 1961, Winthrop has helped organize active G.O.P. groups in all 75 counties, even clubs for Little Rock teenagers and Hot Springs pensioners. Barry's boys distrusted Rockefeller, figuring that he was just trying to put together an organization for Brother Nelson, but he reassured them by staking out a middle-of-the-road position. "I am not as liberal as my brother and not as conservative as Mr. Goldwater," said he. He resigned as head of the Arkansas Industrial Development Commission, which brought 90,000 new jobs to the state during his eight-year tenure, and two weeks ago announced his candidacy for Governor. His opponent is almost sure to be Orval Faubus, who is after an unprecedented sixth term. Faubus is probably unbeatable, but Democratic and Republican pros agree that Winthrop could defeat almost anyone else.

∙FLORIDA. "On the national level, we have a two-party state," says State Chairman Tom Brown. "On the local level, we don't have it yet." Florida voted Republican in the last three presidential elections, but locally has been able to elect officials in only 17 of 67 counties. The party's strength is restricted to the sun cities for retired old folk and central Florida's industrial belt, and though the state has two G.O.P. Congressmen, six of its ten Democratic Congressmen are running without any opposition at all.

∙GEORGIA. In 1952, says G.O.P. National Committeeman Robert Snodgrass, Georgia's Republican organization could fit "in somebody's hatband." Today there are organizations in 130 of 159 counties. Republicans have elected two city councilmen in Atlanta, another in Augusta, two state representatives, four state senators, and they are contesting several congressional races this fall. All this has gotten the Democrats out of their hammocks. They recently opened their first fulltime state headquarters in Atlanta. "Let's face it," says one Georgia Democrat, "it's the first time we ever had to."