A Plague on Both Your Houses: Has The Southern Strategy Run Its Course?

by Irene Daniel


Today's political landscape seems simple. The Democrats are generally the liberals and progressives; the Republicans are the conservatives and the defenders of the status quo. I realize that this is a grossly oversimplified model; and that the spectrum from right to left is much broader. It is impossible to draw a simple straight line between the two, although it is easier than it used to be.

At its inception in the 1860s, it was the Republican party, led by none other than Abe Lincoln himself, that was the progressive party. The Democratic party in those days was wrought with southern slave owners, championing state's rights -- the Dixiecrats. Teddy Roosevelt carried on the progressive ideas of the young Republican party with his trust-busting policies, and concern for the plight of the working poor pitted against powerful monopolies.

The 20th century, however, brought many a twist and turn that made us rethink and readjust our priorities as Americans; especially following the Great Depression and two world wars. Throughout the 20th century, conservatives and liberals could be found in both parties, largely due to new alliances on both sides; organized labor with the Democrats, and organized capitalists with the Republicans. Both parties, however, were more evenly balanced between young and old ideas in the mid-20th century.

1964 changed everything. For in 1964, President Lyndon Johnson used his considerable legislative acumen, combined with the nation's overwhelming grief after the assassination of President Kennedy. to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964; a pivotal moment in American history. In so doing, Johnson knew that the Democratic party would have to kiss all those old Dixiecrats good-bye forever. And so they did. Almost all of the Dixiecrats of the old south became Republicans.

And here is where GOP strategist Lee Atwater and the 'southern strategy' take over GOP philosophy. In the mid-1960s and '70s, it became unfashionable to be openly racist. Thus, more subtle forms of racial communication among those who still clung to their white male supremacy were developed. Terms such as "inner-city," "welfare queens" and "law and order" replaced the overt racism of the old Jim Crow laws. However, the policies set in place of over-policing and the excessive jailing of nonwhites have created a society that is still highly segregated, and where nonwhites are astronomically overrepresented among those behind bars today.

And what's more, GOP cronies are making money and getting elected, promising to build more private prisons to further unjustly enrich white GOP cronies, off of the backs of nonwhite skin. This is the new slavery. They are still making money off of nonwhite bodies. Organizations like ALEC, funded by billionaires like the Kochs, Waltons and Sheldon Adelsons, are recreating new plantations, whether they be prisons or big box stores.

However, as more and more people of color, as well as non-heterosexuals, become enlightened and empowered, these subtle ploys become more and more transparent. And the more transparent and obvious they become, the less attractive to the new demographics of America. And here is where the Dixiecrats that once plagued the Democratic party, have now thoroughly infested the Republican party. Some have moved even further to the right with Tea Party candidates and others who want to storm the Capitol right now, and personally cut off President Obama's head.

These southern conservatives keep moving the Republican party to the right. Which would be okay if that is where the rest of the nation was going; but it is not. Within the next few decades, most Americans will be a mix of many ethnicities. The largest ethnic group will be Latinos, and most of those will be of Mexican descent. Moreover, there is a steady and growing migration of nonwhites, including blacks, Latinos and Asians, to southern states.

What does this all mean? The death of Dixie?

This means of course that, even if the Republicans successfully take over both houses of congress this year, this will be the last election cycle in which they will succeed; for they cannot overcome the demographic tsunami coming their way. It is inevitable. 

They may yet win this battle this year, but they will most definitely lose the war.

                                                                                                                                       Irene Daniel   Copyright 2014   All rights reserved.