Saratoga2DM
Rookie
Posts: 53
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« on: November 23, 2003, 06:59:59 PM » |
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1968 was the year that created a Conservative, Republican dynasty in the White House that has lasted to this day. The Vietnam War, race riots, LBJ bowing out, and the RFK assassination had put the Democrats on the defensive. And the Chicago riots outside the Democratic convention made Humphrey's chances very slim.
Antagonism over the war was one of the reasons that put Nixon in the White House. But another reason why he won was because the Republicans adopted the "SOUTHERN STRATEGY" which was meant to attract white Southern voters who were angered by the 1964 Civil Rights act.
Despite Wallace's presence in the 1968 election (he got 5 deep South states), Future elections (except in 1976 Carter got the entire South, sans Virginia) proved that the Republican Party's strategy worked. The 2000 election gave them the entire South (I am still very skeptical about Florida).
LBJ knew this would happen after he did the right thing by signing the 1964 Civil Rights acts. After signing the bill, Johnson leaned over to an aide and reportedly said: "I've just handed the South to the Republicans for a generation."
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