The future of the GOP's demographics

[Brittain33]

The "Southern Strategy" originally referred to the 68 campaign that went after the votes in the Outer South - areas that went for LBJ before voting for Nixon - and was about tapping into opposition to cultural liberalism and federal intrusion broadly, not just on racial issues.

Federal intrusion was largely about racial issues.

[Brittain33]

The "Southern Strategy" originally referred to the 68 campaign that went after the votes in the Outer South - areas that went for LBJ before voting for Nixon - and was about tapping into opposition to cultural liberalism and federal intrusion broadly, not just on racial issues.

Federal intrusion was largely about racial issues.

A lot of these areas had a very small if any black population.  Racial issues was the most obvious example of federal intrusion, but there was a symbolic and cultural resonance beyond that.  These places hated Yankee liberals a heck of a lot more than they hated blacks.

I appreciate how difficult it is, as someone from a different generation who has ethical values that are incompatible with racism, to acknowledge this recent history within your party.

[Brittain33]

The keystone of the Southern Strategy was Nixon's working with Strom Thurmond to get his endorsement and behind the scenes support for the 1968 Republican nomination. Nixon's concessions included nominating Supreme Court justices who reflected Thurmond's vies and pulling back on federal enforcement of integration (this was nearly 15 years after Brown.)

Look up Nixon's first two nominations for the Supreme Court: they were from South Carolina and Georgia.

South Carolina and Georgia are not in the upper south.

[Brittain33]

That map puts Birmingham, Alabama in the upper south. If that's the case, there is no distinction to be made about a largely white "upper south" where race issues were not significant and the Deep South where they were. The points about "the modern ATL metro" has no relevance to the 1960s, although if Forsyth County is part of the "upper south," see the previous sentence. The fact the upper south grazes South Carolina does not make Strom Thurmond an Appalachian politician.