General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Wanna Know Who Made Racism ''Acceptable Again'' in the good ol' USA? [View all]Liberal_Stalwart71
(20,450 posts)Republicans in response.
Nixon's "Southern Strategy" build on to that racism and racist tension.
Reagan's "Welfare Queen" was simply an extension of the Southern Strategy-Lee Atwater politics that has forever transformed politics. Atwater's apprentice was KKKarl Rove. Racism/race is the underlying Rovian tactic that gets Republicans (and many white Democrats) to vote against their best interest. (Read "What's the Matter With Kansas" by Tom Frank! Required reading, along with V.O. Key's work and Earle and Merle Black's "Southern Politics" .
Race is central in every aspect of political, social and economic lives.
The problem I have with Democrats is their unwillingness (or refusal) to see racism in ALL forms, not just explicit.
It was the "Reagan Democrats" that we lost and that Hillary Clinton's campaign, husband and surrogates played to in 2007-2008 with her dog whistle racism. This is one of the reasons why I can never support HRC in 2016. She never apologized for her race politics, so I will never forgive her.
But let's not get it twisted, either. White Democrats of ALL ideological persuasions (including LIBERALS) can be just as racist.