Republican Party Politics and the American South, 1865–1968

Carpetbaggers, Confederates, and Richard Nixon: The 1960 Presidential Election, Historical Memory, and the Republican Southern Strategy

“…Rockefeller contended that Nixon's mistake was soft‐peddling civil rights and appealing to the South at the expense of northern, particularly black, voters. Conversely, Goldwater argued Nixon was insufficiently conservative and had tried too hard to capture northern (black) support, proposing the white South as the GOP's best target (Heersink and Jenkins 2020, 177–8; Klinkner 1994, 24–9; R. Smith 2014, 349–56). Concurrently, civil rights activists politicized the Civil War centennial, demanding fulfilment of the conflict's emancipatory promises, while their opponents deployed Confederate references to defend the segregated status quo (Cook 2007).…”

“…The 1960 election is analyzed sparingly in existing studies, if mentioned at all, presented usually as little more than a footnote to later Republican growth. Boris Heersink and Jeffery Jenkins report correctly that “little is made” of “Nixon's lesser Southern success in 1960” (Heersink and Jenkins 2020, 3). Scholars argue frequently that the Southern Strategy, and the “great white switch” (Black and Black 2002, 205) of Dixie's voters, began following Nixon's 1960 loss to John Kennedy.…”

“…Despite a dearth of congressional representation, these racially conservative “Lily‐Whites” retained influence within the party through their role in convention and nomination processes. Heersink and Jenkins view this “whitening” of Dixie Republicanism as “a necessary condition” for the GOP becoming electorally competitive in the South (Heersink and Jenkins 2020).…”

“…Potter was tasked with building up the party apparatus and attracting candidates. Eisenhower hoped “Operation Dixie” would cement southern Republican progress by improving the party's organizational footing (Galvin 2010, 64–6; Goldfield 2002, 260; Heersink and Jenkins 2020, 169–75; Klinkner 1994, 50–2; Lowndes 2008, 36–9, 45–8; Schickler 2016, 245–51). In September 1957, Eisenhower federalized the Arkansas National Guard to ensure desegregation at Little Rock Central High School.…”

“…Many segregationists drew unflattering comparisons to the bayonets of Reconstruction. At a January 1958 National Committee meeting, Potter admitted that the party's southern labors had “been hurt by Little Rock” (Coski 2006, 146–7; Heersink and Jenkins 2020, 175–6; Potter 1958).…”