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In reply to the discussion: Wanna Know Who Made Racism ''Acceptable Again'' in the good ol' USA? [View all]Liberal_Stalwart71
(20,450 posts)resurgence," is just simply wrong.
The links you posted are indeed right because they reflect what *actually* happened.
Bottom line: Nixon's Southern Strategy led to Southern Republican dominance in politics, and that strategy emphasized racist rhetoric and exploitation of racist sentiment in this country.
What Reagan did was continue to implement and CAPITALIZE on that strategy. How did he do it? The architects of Nixon's Southern Strategy, sans Atwater, served in the Reagan administration. With their racist campaign rhetoric, they were able to peel off a fair number of Southern and Midwestern Democrats, which is why I have always argued that there is a strain of racism in the Democratic Party. Always was and always will be. That became clear to me during the Obama-Clinton campaign in 2008.
Now, you can continue to deny these facts, but that's on you. It's your problem.
One last important point that cannot be disputed:
RACISM NEVER WENT AWAY!! NEVER! There was never any "resurgence". That's absurd!
American politics is centered on RACE, obsessed with race. Throughout this country's existence, race was its undercurrent. I didn't make this up. Read the books below; V.O. Key and the Black brothers wrote extensively about the centrality of race.
Thems the facts, my friend. They just are.
Required Reading:
V.O. Key's seminal "Southern Politics"
Merle and Earle Black, "The Rise of Southern Republicans"
Thomas Frank, "What's the Matter With Kansas"
John W. Dean, "Conservatives Without Conscious"