GOP Southern Strategy

Richard Nixon, yes the only President in modern history that resigned the position, had an idea on how to win national elections. After the southern states lost the Civil War, the Democrats conceded that slaves were to be free, but they instituted White Supremacy laws that would ensure that African-Americans were considered less than equal in the eyes of the Constitution. Does that sound familiar? Well it should because that is the same strategy that the current Republican Party is using against LGBT citizens, Muslims and yes even women. We fail to acknowledge that this is truly about White MALE supremacy. Again, Richard Nixon knew this about the Democrats of the 1950s and 1960s. Republicans like to remind us that the KKK was formed by Democrats. They like to remind us that the Democrats of the first half of the Twentieth century were racist. No one is denying that. We accept that because it was that reason that the racist portion of the Democratic Party was exactly who Richard Nixon went for. When President Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act into law in 1965, Richard Nixon and Barry Goldwater went after the angry white men in the south that were against giving rights to African-Americans. Nixon’s political strategist, Kevin Phillips, was discussing the reason that the Republicans needed to tap into that angry portion of the white south:

“From now on, the Republicans are never going to get more than 10 to 20 percent of the Negro vote and they don’t need any more than that…but Republicans would be shortsighted if they weakened enforcement of the Voting Rights Act. The more Negroes who register as Democrats in the South, the sooner the Negrophobe whites will quit the Democrats and become Republicans. That’s where the votes are. Without that prodding from the blacks, the whites will backslide into their old comfortable arrangement with the local Democrats.” – Kevin Phillips May 17, 1970

This made the south ripe for the picking by the Republicans and they seized on the moment. From 1948 to 1984, Republicans began winning key southern states by starting the “state rights” defense against anything that would strengthen the African-American vote in these southern states. While they accepted integration reluctantly, they began implementing state laws that actually caused more segregation. They would defend it by saying that the school district is in an “urban” area so of course they are segregated. This became the acceptable form of racism. Do it when you can, defend it when you are caught, and play dumb when you are found guilty. The state of Texas just lost their Voting Rights ID case for being racist but not deliberate. Of course it was deliberate. This again was part of that “Southern Strategy”! Divide and conquer. Feed red meat to the base, make them despondent and angry and then lie to them in the hopes that they are too much of a low-information voter to know where to find the truth. This isn’t an elitist Democrat versus dumb Republican attitude. This is exactly what the Republican Party wanted.

The reason that Republicans call Liberals elitist or snobs is because they feel like they are being attacked for their beliefs. The truth is many Republicans are nice, smart and truly want to have a better life. The problem is that their own party refuses to offer solutions. Their party only wants to keep them uninformed and angry. When they tell their constituents about issues, they use satire, false facts, fake data and if you challenge them on it, then the “liberal media” or libtards are the liars even in the face of actual proof. Fox News claims to be fair and balanced. Their viewers believe that. They truly do believe that Bill O’ Reilly and Sean Hannity are telling them the truth. Sadly, the truth is Bill and Sean are using that “Southern Strategy” to scare, anger and encourage citizens to revolt against an unjust America. That is exactly what led to the Civil War. Social issues are not little bubbles in society. You have already met someone who is gay, even if you don’t think you have. You have already met someone who had sex outside of marriage, you have already met someone who considered suicide. These are social issues that every American has faced in one form or another. The difference between the Democrats and the Republicans is simple. Democrats believe that we are given equal rights at first breath. We don’t care whether you are male, female, intersex, transgender, gay, straight, a different ethicity or race because we are all equal. Being equal means we must treat everyone without prejudice under the law. In other words, as the exact same. I was taught do unto others as you would have them do to you.

Your right to religion is no more than my right to be without religion. Your right to carrying a fetus to term is no more than a woman’s right to have an abortion. Your right to carry a gun should not take my right to live in a gun free environment away. Your right to claim earned income credit, capital gains, charity deductions, and tax breaks is no more justified as people who need food stamps, welfare, social security, or guaranteed health insurance. The Republicans want to anger you into believing that “moochers” are the reason for our economic troubles. Again, that is part of the “Southern Strategy”. Just keep in mind, that earned income is government welfare. That tax break is government welfare. That deduction for charity contributions, again WELFARE! It is time that we stop this blatant attempt to anger the Republican base in order to win elections. When you look at the current makeup of Congress, you see that white male strategy in play. You elect these men into office and then you get horrendous comments like those of Donald Trump, Todd Akin, Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, Scott Walker, Chris Christie, just to name a few. These men all do exactly what Donald Trump is doing. Yet, you still blindly support them. What does that make you?