Painting Dixie Red: When, Where, Why, and How the South Became Republican (New Perspectives on the History of the South)

"An eloquent and important examination of one of the most significant political trends of the last fifty years, revealing how prescient President Lyndon Johnson was on the occasion of his signing of the 1965 Civil Rights Bill when he made his famous comment about handing the South over to the Republicans for a generation."--Ralph Young, author of __Dissent in America__ Has the South, once the "Solid South" of the Democratic Party, truly become an unassailable Republican stronghold? If so, when, where, why, and how did this seismic change occur? Moreover, what are the implications for the U.S. body politic? __Painting__ Dixie Red is the first volume to grapple with these difficult yet critical questions. In this fascinating and timely collection, a distinguished group of scholars engages in an enlightening debate. Some make the case that the South has become Republican, and some contend that it has not. Some outline the region's exceptionalism, and some reject the idea of regional distinctiveness. Some point to white discontent over civil rights as the root of political changes, and some cite color-blind factors. All offer invaluable insights into U.S. politics during these ultra-partisan times. An eloquent and important examination of one of the most significant political trends of the last fifty years, revealing how prescient President Lyndon Johnson was on the occasion of his signing of the 1965 Civil Rights Bill when he made his famous comment about handing the South over to the Republicans for a generation.Ralph Young, author of Dissent in America Has the South, once the Solid South of the Democratic Party, truly become an unassailable Republican stronghold? If so, when, where, why, and how did this seismic change occur? Moreover, what are the implications for the U.S. body politic? Painting Dixie Red is the first volume to grapple with these difficult yet critical questions. In this fascinating and timely collection, a distinguished group of scholars engages in an enlightening debate. Some make the case that the South has become Republican, and some contend that it has not. Some outline the regions exceptionalism, and some reject the idea of regional distinctiveness. Some point to white discontent over civil rights as the root of political changes, and some cite color-blind factors. All offer invaluable insights into U.S. politics during these ultra-partisan times. Glenn Feldman is professor in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and author or editor of numerous books including The Disfranchisement Myth: Poor Whites and Suffrage Restriction in Alabama and Before Brown: Civil Rights and White Backlash in the Modern South. A volume in the series New Perspectives on the History of the South, edited by John David Smith Introduction: Has The South Become Republican? / Glenn Feldman -- Voting For God And The Gop: The Role Of Evangelical Religion In The Emergence Of The Republican South / Daniel K. Williams -- Out-democratin' The Democrats: Religious Colleges And The Rise Of The Republican Party In The South: A Case Study / Barclay Key -- With God On Our Side: Moral And Religious Issues, Southern Culture, And Republican Realignment In The South / Frederick V. Slocum -- A Suburban Story: The Rise Of Republicanism In Postwar Georgia, 1948-1980 / Tim Boyd -- Virginia's Northern Strategy: Southern Segregationists And The Route To National Conservatism / George Lewis -- Kennedyphobia And The Rise Of Republicans In Northwest Louisiana, 1960-1962 / J. Eric Pardue -- Race, Grassroots Activism, And The Evolution Of The Republican Right In South Carolina, 1952-1974 / John W. White -- A Southern Road Less Traveled: The 1966 Gubernatorial Election And (winthrop) Rockefeller Republicanism In Arkansas / John A. Kirk -- Gun Cotton: Southern Industrialists, International Trade, And The Republican Party In The 1950s / Katherine Rye Jewell -- The First Southern Strategy: The Taft And The Dewey/eisenhower Factions In The Gop / Michael Bowen -- The Black Cabinet: Economic Civil Rights In The Nixon Administration / Leah M. Wright -- M. E. Bradford, The Reagan Right, And The Resurgence Of Confederate Nationalism / Fred Arthur Bailey -- Conclusion: America's Appointment With Destiny: A Cautionary Tale / Glenn Feldman. Edited By Glenn Feldman. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Table of Contents 10 Acknowledgments 12 Introduction: Has the South Become Republican? 14 I Religion and Partisan Realignment 32 1. Voting for God and the GOP: The Role of Evangelical Religion in the Emergenceof the Republican South 34 2. “Out-Democratin’ the Democrats”: Religious Colleges and the Rise of the Republican Partyin the South—A Case Study 51 3. With God on Our Side: Moral and Religious Issues, Southern Culture, and Republican Realignment in the South 68 II State, Section, Suburb, and Race 90 4. A Suburban Story: The Rise of Republicanism in Postwar Georgia, 1948–1980 92 5. Virginia’s Northern Strategy: Southern Segregationists and the Route to National Conservatism 111 6. Kennedyphobia and the Rise of Republicansin Northwest Louisiana, 1960–1962 135 7. Race, Grassroots Activism, and the Evolution of the Republican Right in South Carolina,1952–1974 151 8. A Southern Road Less Traveled: The 1966 Gubernatorial Election and (Winthrop) Rockefeller Republicanism in Arkansas 185 III Economics, Faction, and the Neo-Confederacy 212 9. “Gun Cotton”: Southern Industrialists, International Trade, and the Republican Party in the 1950s 214 10. The First Southern Strategy: The Taft and the Dewey/Eisenhower Factions in the GOP 233 11. The Black Cabinet: Economic Civil Rights in the Nixon Administration 253 12. M. E. Bradford, the Reagan Right, and the Resurgence of Confederate Nationalism 304 Conclusion America’s Appointment with Destiny—A Cautionary Tale 327 Contributors 374 Index 376 This book is an eloquent examination of one of the most important political questions of the last half-century. It explores whether the South, once the “Solid South” of the Democratic Party, has truly become a Republican stronghold. And if so, when, where, why, and how did this seismic change occur? Moreover, what are the implications for the U.S. body politic, and for the future of liberalism and conservatism in America? Painting Dixie Red is the first volume to grapple with these difficult yet critical questions. In this fascinating and timely collection, a distinguished group of scholars engages in an enlightening debate. Some make the case that the South has become Republican, and some contend that it has not. Some outline the region's exceptionalism, and some reject the idea of regional distinctiveness. Some point to white backlash and discontent over civil rights as the root of political changes, and some cite color-blind factors. All offer invaluable insights into U.S. politics during these ultra-partisan times Painting Dixie Red is the first book to grapple with these difficult yet critical questions, featuring a broad set of distinguished scholars. In this fascinating collection, all voices are heard: those who view white backlash to civil rights as the driving force in the South's switch from Democratic to Republican dominance and those who cite such factors as suburbanization, economic change, in-migration, and demographic patterns; some who recognize the exceptionalism of the South and some who reject the idea of regional distinctiveness; and others who say recent national voting patterns do not make a convincing case that the region as a whole has shifted political party allegiance. All offer valuable insights into regional and national politics during these ultrapartisan times in a book that will be highly relevant for years to come. Book jacket Has The South, once the "Solid South" of the Democratic Party, truly become an unassailable Republican stronghold? If so, does the blame lie with President Johnson, or is it a result of other, color-blind factors? Moreover, what are the implications for the U.S. body politic? This debate will not be resolved any time soon. It is likely to dominate scholarship and inquiry in politics and culture for decades