A History of Liberal White Racism

[merrily]

69. Not every Democrat was a liberal and it didn't start with Wilson, but with

Stephen Douglas or maybe even earlier. Even JFK feared losing the "Solid South." It was not until relatively recently that California went blue in Presidential elections.

Without either the South (especially Juneteenth Texas) or California, no Democrat was going to become President.

ETA: I should add that Adlai Stevenson, who lost twice to WWII hero and closet racist Eisenhower, spoke in favor of equal rights, as did Eleanor Roosevelt. Truman integrated the military with an Executive Order.

JFK got the ICC to start integrating interstate commerce and he also helped get MLK, Jr. out of jail, helping turn MLK, Sr. from a Lincoln Republican to a JFK Democrat. When LBJ got the Civil Rights Act passed, part of the many strategies he used was to make clear that he was carrying out JFK intentions.

Meanwhile, on the other side, "states rights" had become a dog whistle for Jim Crow and racism generally; and Barry Goldwater spoke out in favor of "states' rights," as did the perpetually cranky vet who succeeded him in the Senate.

But, yes, there are still Democrats who are racist and there are still Democrats, even some who aspire to the Presidency, who very much miss the "Solid South."