As a northerner who lived in the South I can unequivocally tell you this doesn't work. Southerners who do this come off as saccharine and insincere. It's incredibly transparent and irritating (which I always felt was the point) to people who don't agree with you. You aren't fooling anyone.
I think the trick is that you actually have to be sincere. You almost have to feel sorry for the other person, but in a "wow you seem fucked up but I hope you can still have a good day" way. I never mastered it.
