The KKK was crucial to building GOP strength in the South

[Rockefeller GOP]

Yes, it's dumb of modern Republicans (read: Paul) to think we can win Black votes by reminding them of our proud history, a history they're well aware of.  However, it's equally simplistic and ignorant of history to keep pushing this meme that the CRA (which, as has been mentioned, had extremely high Republican support) was this magical turning point in which Southern Democrats just became Republicans with the snap of a finger.  That's just false.

FWIW, Blacks largely backed Wilson in 1916 (an open segregationist) and backed FDR in all of his re-election bids (conveniently ignoring his vetoing of anti-lynching legislation drafted by Republicans).  If you were at an unfair disadvantage economically compared to Whites (who'd had generations of advantages that kept Blacks unequal), and both parties seemed equally ambivalent ('40s and '50s) or equally supportive ('60s) of civil rights, wouldn't you vote your economic interest?

[Rockefeller GOP]

I'd be surprised if you found many posters here with red avatars who would not have been proud Republicans in roughly the 20 years between 1855 and 1875. Any decent person would have been.

While that's true (at least I hope so), the annoying part is when said avatars make the following conclusion: I am a liberal now --> I would have been a Republican then --> the Republican Party was a strictly liberal party then.  Needless to say, this is comically simplistic, but it also ignores things like early Republicans trying restrict voting rights of poor Whites in the North, support for prohibition and sin taxes and clear pro-business tendencies.