Its not as simple as a Black/White thing I don't think. After the 1994 Republican Revolution some Conservative Dems in the US House felt more in line with Republicans on fiscal issues I guess. Many Southern State Legislatures didn't switch over to Republican Control till the Y2era as the Virginia State Legislature was the first Southern State to switch over to complete Republican Control in 2000. The State Senate was in Spilt Control in 1996-1997 as the 2 parties agreed to "Power Sharing Control" as the Dems retained a slim majority in the" House Of Delegates" 52D-47R, and 1I. In 1998-1999 the Republicans gained control of the State Senate and the 2 parties were tied in "The House of Delegates" 50D-49R, and 1I but the Dems retained the Speakership through another "Power Sharing Agreement".
It is fact that alot of White Evangelicals switched over to Reagan in 1980 after supporting Carter in 1976. They felt Carter was a failure.
That's too of course. Carter was the last "rural southern Democrat" (and, by present day standards, at least somewhat conservative) white southerners initially believed. In general i see some "realigning waves", which, combined, led to present situation:
1. Very timid attempts before 1948 (anti-Catholic 1928, "Texas regulars" of 1940, and so on)
2. Dixiecrat movement of 1948 after passing strong civil rights platform in Democratic program
3. Goldwater candidacy of 1964.
4. Reaganisation of Republican party and Reagan's campaigns of 1976 and 1980
5. Republican wave of 1994 and Gingrich's "Contract with America"
6. Republican wave of 2010 (which, essentially, finalized present situation, 2014 only added some ultrafinal details).
Of course - demographic and economic changes went continuosly all this period too, but politically it's mostly appeared as a serious of waves approximately each 16 years...
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