Mississippi Turns Republican
As a citizen of Mississippi for five years, I am amazed at the change in the State's politics. When I left the State in 1995 it was very solidly democrat. Blacks voted democrat in spite of the abuse they received from the whites in power. All the while I was there blacks were increasingly gaining victories in businesses, education, courts, police forces, prison guards, and elective offices. They were doing this through the democrat party. The governor at that time was Maybus, a white, who was at that time pushing for black inclusion into full participation in all State affairs. More than once I heard whites state "save us from Maybus."
It has been 16 years since I left and now they have elected republicans as the majority in their legislatures. How did this happen? Did the blacks turn into republicans? Did the whites turn into republicans? The State has not been republican since the end of the Civil War, during reconstruction. At that time, a black republican (supported by the residual, republican Lincoln administration and the desire of Johnson, the new President, to punish the white southerners) served in the US Senate. Eventually the democrat whites regained political power and passed laws that held down black voting.
I would like to see a story written on how this transformation from a democrat polity to a republican polity was accomplished. Somebody did a lot of work.
It has been 16 years since I left and now they have elected republicans as the majority in their legislatures. How did this happen? Did the blacks turn into republicans? Did the whites turn into republicans? The State has not been republican since the end of the Civil War, during reconstruction. At that time, a black republican (supported by the residual, republican Lincoln administration and the desire of Johnson, the new President, to punish the white southerners) served in the US Senate. Eventually the democrat whites regained political power and passed laws that held down black voting.
I would like to see a story written on how this transformation from a democrat polity to a republican polity was accomplished. Somebody did a lot of work.
posted by Marcel at
2:13 PM
2 Comments:
When Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Bill he is said to have commented "Well I guess we just lost the south." Some people believe LBJ was right. Not me. I believe Democrats lost their dominance in the south because they have adopted extreme, liberal ideology (pro abortion, pro gay marriage, anti religion, anti gun etc.)in conflict with the philosophy of the average southern voter whether black, white or brown.
By
John Beauregard, at 1:19 PM
Nearly all the white Mississippians I met were supportive of the changes the Civil Rights Bill stood for and recognized the living was easier and just with the changes. A few years ago I wrote about one that openly expressed dissatisfaction with the changes. I cannot recall his name at this time. The blacks were supportive of course.
I believe you are right on the extreme direction the democrats took and many citizens do not want that extremeism.
By
Marcel, at 4:04 PM
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