Republicans Have The KKK To Thank For Congressional Majorities
The white supremacist group resurged to prominence in the 1960s as a reaction to the civil rights movement, and its violent extremism inflamed racial division and polarized communities for generations…”
“It encouraged white voters to prioritize the defense of white supremacy when making voting decisions, upending long-standing Democratic Party allegiances,” wrote the study’s authors.
Debating many conservatives is as frustrating as it is predictable. Talk about racism or the KKK with a right-winger and you are sure to hear about how the Democrats used to be the racist followed by some gobbledegook about Robert Byrd. As fruitless as it is likely to be, those with large amount of patience can try to teach their Conservative friends how that changed.
“The Klan played an active role in encouraging white southerners to prioritize white supremacy over party loyalty,” wrote the study’s authors.
KKK leaders urged southerners to “form a voting bloc to defeat any n*gger-loving politician that runs for office,” and the group evaluated and supported candidates based on their “authentic whiteness” rather than party ties.
This was a significant change from the Democratic Party loyalty that had assured white political dominance since the end of the Civil War.
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Copyright 2014 Liberaland
By: Mark Quincy Adams
A proud 'pragmatic progressive' Mark Quincy Adams has been a political
talk show host and prolific pontificator since 1992. Find him on Facebook and Twitter @politicalglutton
58 responses to Republicans Have The KKK To Thank For Congressional Majorities
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edmeyer_able December 9th, 2014 at 10:00
Rachael Maddow had a segment on this last night. While not specifically tying it to the kkk she had a graphic on the time line starting w/LBJ signing the Civil Rights Act of ’64
Dwendt44 December 9th, 2014 at 12:03
That’s when a lot of southern ‘Dixiecrat’ politicians finally jumped to the Republican Party.
edmeyer_able December 9th, 2014 at 11:00
Rachael Maddow had a segment on this last night. While not specifically tying it to the kkk she had a graphic on the time line starting w/LBJ signing the Civil Rights Act of ’64
Dwendt44 December 9th, 2014 at 13:03
That’s when a lot of southern ‘Dixiecrat’ politicians finally jumped to the Republican Party.
arc99 December 9th, 2014 at 10:09
I suspect even right wingers know what the truth is.
Why else would they have to reach back 150 years to connect the Democratic party to the Klan?
If they restricted themselves to what is actually happening right now in the 21st century, it is pretty clear that many Klan tenets are fundamental to the views of the GOP base.
In any case, it is the fruition of the “southern strategy” described the late Republican activist Lee Atwater. The Republican party today is exactly what Lee Atwater described.
it is not a coincidence, and black folks are well aware of it, no matter how many Herman Cain and Ben Carson tokens the GOP trots out.
The full 40+ minute audio tape belongs in the Smithsonian. It is a remarkable record of the role that bigotry plays in the Republican party, despite protestations of apologists who are either too clueless or too dishonest to admit it.
I will put the question on the table again. Conservatives why am I wrong to conclude that this is exactly what is happening in your party?
I would also observe that it is quite curious that this tape is not found on any conservative websites. The truth does hurt doesn’t it?
http://www.thenation.com/article/170841/exclusive-lee-atwaters-infamous-1981-interview-southern-strategy
Exclusive: Lee Atwater’s Infamous 1981 Interview on the Southern Strategy
You start out in 1954 by saying, “N*gger, n*gger, n*gger.” By 1968 you can’t say “n*gger”—that hurts you, backfires. So you say stuff like, uh, forced busing, states’ rights, and all that stuff, and you’re getting so abstract. Now, you’re talking about cutting taxes, and all these things you’re talking about are totally economic things and a byproduct of them is, blacks get hurt worse than whites.… “We want to cut this,” is much more abstract than even the busing thing, uh, and a hell of a lot more abstract than “N*gger, n*gger.”
Pilotshark December 9th, 2014 at 10:19
and now instead of N word, N word,,,it Thug, Thug.
they like dog whistles what can we say.
R.J. Carter December 9th, 2014 at 10:27
What word would you prefer?
Hirightnow December 9th, 2014 at 10:27
American.
R.J. Carter December 9th, 2014 at 10:32
*golf clap*
Thank you. We’re all Americans. Now let’s quit segregating ourselves into groups represented by lobbyists, mm-kay?
Hirightnow December 9th, 2014 at 10:34
You’re the one that wanted a word…
R.J. Carter December 9th, 2014 at 10:54
I’m as against racially offensive language as the next guy. It’s vulgar and incendiary. But when you can’t even call a thug a thug, because there’s some allegorical “dog whistle” that someone heard (I won’t say the hearer is a dog, because that might be vulgar and incendiary, and some of my best friends are dogs), then speech becomes so limited that we may as well be muzzled.
Hirightnow December 9th, 2014 at 11:42
Oddly, though, you almost never hear of white people referred to as “thugs”…
Semantics is a poor place to retreat to.
R.J. Carter December 9th, 2014 at 12:30
Really? Because “thugs” were “thugs” until rap culture began to embrace the term along with “gangsta” as it attempted to glamorize la vida illegale.
Pilotshark December 9th, 2014 at 10:36
wouldn’t prefer either one in context of the words meanings.
Red Eye Robot December 9th, 2014 at 10:51
I wonder if Markos knows he’s calling Chris Christie the N-word
arc99 December 9th, 2014 at 11:09
Bottom line, Lee Atwater’s race-baiting Southern strategy is exactly what you right wingers up to.
Even you can’t spin that away.
Red Eye Robot December 9th, 2014 at 13:49
Pro tip: when your argument falls apart, Invoke the visage of a political consultant dead 23 years
arc99 December 9th, 2014 at 14:20
The racist agenda described by a GOP insider dead for 23 years is happening right before our very eyes.
But thanks for the confirmation that ignoring facts and reality are the foundation of most right wing arguments.
arc99 December 9th, 2014 at 11:09
I suspect even right wingers know what the truth is.
Why else would they have to reach back 150 years to connect the Democratic party to the Klan?
If they restricted themselves to what is actually happening right now in the 21st century, it is pretty clear that many Klan tenets are fundamental to the views of the GOP base.
In any case, it is the fruition of the “southern strategy” described the late Republican activist Lee Atwater. The Republican party today is exactly what Lee Atwater described.
it is not a coincidence, and black folks are well aware of it, no matter how many Herman Cain and Ben Carson tokens the GOP trots out.
The full 40+ minute audio tape belongs in the Smithsonian. It is a remarkable record of the role that bigotry plays in the Republican party, despite protestations of apologists who are either too clueless or too dishonest to admit it.
I will put the question on the table again. Conservatives why am I wrong to conclude that this is exactly what is happening in your party?
I would also observe that it is quite curious that this tape is not found on any conservative websites. The truth does hurt doesn’t it?
http://www.thenation.com/article/170841/exclusive-lee-atwaters-infamous-1981-interview-southern-strategy
Exclusive: Lee Atwater’s Infamous 1981 Interview on the Southern Strategy
You start out in 1954 by saying, “N*gger, n*gger, n*gger.” By 1968 you can’t say “n*gger”—that hurts you, backfires. So you say stuff like, uh, forced busing, states’ rights, and all that stuff, and you’re getting so abstract. Now, you’re talking about cutting taxes, and all these things you’re talking about are totally economic things and a byproduct of them is, blacks get hurt worse than whites.… “We want to cut this,” is much more abstract than even the busing thing, uh, and a hell of a lot more abstract than “N*gger, n*gger.”
Pilotshark December 9th, 2014 at 11:19
and now instead of N word, N word,,,it Thug, Thug.
they like dog whistles what can we say.
R.J. Carter December 9th, 2014 at 11:27
What word would you prefer?
Hirightnow December 9th, 2014 at 11:27
American.
R.J. Carter December 9th, 2014 at 11:32
*golf clap*
Thank you. We’re all Americans. Now let’s quit segregating ourselves into groups represented by lobbyists, mm-kay?
Hirightnow December 9th, 2014 at 11:34
You’re the one that wanted a word…
R.J. Carter December 9th, 2014 at 11:54
I’m as against racially offensive language as the next guy. It’s vulgar and incendiary. But when you can’t even call a thug a thug, because there’s some allegorical “dog whistle” that someone heard (I won’t say the hearer is a dog, because that might be vulgar and incendiary, and some of my best friends are dogs), then speech becomes so limited that we may as well be muzzled.
Hirightnow December 9th, 2014 at 12:42
Oddly, though, you almost never hear of white people referred to as “thugs”…
Semantics is a poor place to retreat to.
R.J. Carter December 9th, 2014 at 13:30
Really? Because “thugs” were “thugs” until rap culture began to embrace the term along with “gangsta” as it attempted to glamorize la vida illegale.
Pilotshark December 9th, 2014 at 11:36
wouldn’t prefer either one in context of the words meanings.
Red Eye Robot December 9th, 2014 at 11:51
I wonder if Markos knows he’s calling Chris Christie the N-word
arc99 December 9th, 2014 at 12:09
Bottom line, Lee Atwater’s race-baiting Southern strategy is exactly what you right wingers up to.
Even you can’t spin that away.
Red Eye Robot December 9th, 2014 at 14:49
Pro tip: when your argument falls apart, Invoke the visage of a political consultant dead 23 years
arc99 December 9th, 2014 at 15:20
The racist agenda described by a GOP insider dead for 23 years is happening right before our very eyes.
But thanks for the confirmation that ignoring facts and reality are the foundation of most right wing arguments.
R.J. Carter December 9th, 2014 at 10:26
“Talk about racism or the KKK with a right-winger and you are sure to hear about how the Democrats used to be the racist followed by some gobbledegook about Robert Byrd. ”
Well, that’s certainly a non-dismissive preemptive way of washing your hands, Mister Pilate.
arc99 December 9th, 2014 at 10:29
Well, that’s certainly a non-dismissive preemptive but quite accurate way of washing your hands, Mister Pilate.
there, fixed it for ya..
R.J. Carter December 9th, 2014 at 10:31
Sure it is.
arc99 December 9th, 2014 at 10:36
you’re on. tell you what I won’t even search for links for previous examples showing exactly that.
I will wait for a new occurrence, experience tells me it won’t be long before we have a new example of some GOP party official, candidate, elected leader, or syndicated pundit saying what you claim is “hand washing”.
R.J. Carter December 9th, 2014 at 11:26
“Talk about racism or the KKK with a right-winger and you are sure to hear about how the Democrats used to be the racist followed by some gobbledegook about Robert Byrd. ”
Well, that’s certainly a non-dismissive preemptive way of washing your hands, Mister Pilate.
arc99 December 9th, 2014 at 11:29
Well, that’s certainly a non-dismissive preemptive but quite accurate way of washing your hands, Mister Pilate.
there, fixed it for ya..
R.J. Carter December 9th, 2014 at 11:31
Sure it is.
arc99 December 9th, 2014 at 11:36
you’re on. tell you what I won’t even search for links for previous examples showing exactly that.
I will wait for a new occurrence, experience tells me it won’t be long before we have a new example of some GOP party official, candidate, elected leader, or syndicated pundit saying what you claim is “hand washing”.
Red Eye Robot December 9th, 2014 at 10:49
Oh Lookie, Liberals have created a new boogieman
edmeyer_able December 9th, 2014 at 10:50
??
Dwendt44 December 9th, 2014 at 11:58
the Republicans have been a ‘boogieman’ for decades now.
Obewon December 9th, 2014 at 13:17
Ever wonder why your teaklan have so few minorities and is 95% white?
Red Eye Robot December 9th, 2014 at 14:04
You probably shouldn’t drink the mouthwash
Obewon December 9th, 2014 at 19:54
‘…and the Koch bros funded tea republiklan groups evaluate and supports candidates based on their’ “authentic whiteness.”
Red Eye Robot December 9th, 2014 at 11:49
Oh Lookie, Liberals have created a new boogieman
edmeyer_able December 9th, 2014 at 11:50
??
Dwendt44 December 9th, 2014 at 12:58
the Republicans have been a ‘boogieman’ for decades now.
Obewon December 9th, 2014 at 14:17
Ever wonder why your teaklan have so few minorities and is 95% white?
Birther Ben Carson / Grand cyclops Darren Wilson until 2016~
Red Eye Robot December 9th, 2014 at 15:04
You probably shouldn’t drink the mouthwash
Obewon December 9th, 2014 at 20:54
‘…and the Koch bros funded tea republiklan groups evaluate and support candidates based on their’ “authentic whiteness.”
Obewon December 9th, 2014 at 13:15
Not every GOP is a racist but All racists vote for the 89% white Republiklan party today.
Obewon December 9th, 2014 at 14:15
Not every GOP is a racist but All racists vote for the 89% white Republiklan party today.
toncuz December 9th, 2014 at 14:39
The last election proved exactly what the article states. The incident in Ferguson happened in August prior to the November election. The left tried desperately to motivate the black voter for the always lack-luster mid-terms by hyping race.
The militarization of our police is a real problem ANYONE could understand, left or right. The abuse of police power over ordinary citizens is a real problem ANYONE could understand, left or right. Most “conservatives” claim to hate government power.
According to FBI stats, 250 white people are killed by police EACH year without indictment, prosecution or even thorough investigation. Yet, we turned Ferguson into a racial incident that 80% of the population could care less about…and alienating the fence sitter voter. We on the left need new leadership who actually understands how to “divide and conquer” the GOP coalition instead of motivating THEM before each election.
Dwendt44 December 9th, 2014 at 18:51
The ‘conservative’ meme about hating government doesn’t trickle down to the police. They like a strong police force to keep us peons in our place. Or, equally likely, to protect THEM from the hoard of minority rebels should a revolt against the wealthy and greedy leaders of the rabid right.
toncuz December 9th, 2014 at 15:39
The last election proved exactly what the article states. The incident in Ferguson happened in August prior to the November election. The left tried desperately to motivate the black voter for the always lack-luster mid-terms by hyping race.
The militarization of our police is a real problem ANYONE could understand, left or right. The abuse of police power over ordinary citizens is a real problem ANYONE could understand, left or right. Most “conservatives” claim to hate government power.
According to FBI stats, about 100 black people…AND about 250 white people are killed by police EACH year without indictment, prosecution or even thorough investigation. Yet, we turned Ferguson into a racial incident that 80% of the population could care less about…and alienating the fence sitter voter. We on the left need new leadership who actually understands how to “divide and conquer” the GOP coalition instead of motivating THEM before each election.
Dwendt44 December 9th, 2014 at 19:51
The ‘conservative’ meme about hating government doesn’t trickle down to the police. They like a strong police force to keep us peons in our place. Or, equally likely, to protect THEM from the hoard of minority rebels should a revolt against the wealthy and greedy leaders of the rabid right.