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[[Image:1968 PresidentialElection.jpg|right|thumb|400px|1968 electoral map. [[The South]] was carried by Democrat Gov. Geo. Wallace of Alabama who ran on a 3rd party ticket. In 1972 Nixon carried every state in the Union except [[Massachusetts]] against a radical extreme socialist.  Massachusetts was the home state of Nixon's 1960 presidential rival, [[John Kennedy]].]]

[[Image:1968 PresidentialElection.jpg|right|thumb|400px|1968 electoral map. [[The South]] was carried by Democrat Gov. Geo. Wallace of Alabama who ran on a 3rd party ticket. In 1972 Nixon carried every state in the Union except [[Massachusetts]] against a radical extreme socialist.  Massachusetts was the home state of Nixon's 1960 presidential rival, [[John Kennedy]].]]

The '''Southern strategy''' is a [[Democrat]] [[conspiracy theory]] that alleges [[Richard Nixon]] carried Southern states in the [[1968 presidential election]] in the wake of the [[bi-partisan]] [[1964 Civil Rights Act]]. In fact, [[the South]] was carried by Democrat [[renegade]] [[George C. Wallace]].  

The '''Southern strategy''' is a [[leftwing]] [[conspiracy theory]] that alleges [[Richard Nixon]] tried to court traditional [[racist]] [[The South|South]]ern [[Democrats]] in the [[1968 presidential election]] in the wake of the [[bi-partisan]] [[1964 Civil Rights Act]]. In fact, [[the South]] was carried by Democrat [[renegade]] [[George C. Wallace]].  

In 1972, the Democrats nominated Sen. [[Tom Eagleton]] of [[Missouri]], a [[slave]] state. Eagleton was booted from the ticket after the convention for [[mental health]] problems and replaced with an Easterner and Kennedy in-law. In the 1972 November General Election, for the first time in almost 40 years Democrats did not have a Southerner on the ticket, and Southerners (along with the rest of the country) overwhelmingly rejected two Northern [[liberal]]s at the top of their ticket. In 1976, 1992, 1996, 2008, and 2012 the South returned to the Democrat fold.  

In 1972, the Democrats nominated Sen. Tom Eagleton of [[Missouri]], a [[slave]] state. Eagleton was booted from the ticket after the convention for [[mental health]] problems and replaced with an Easterner and Kennedy in-law. In the 1972 November General Election, for the first time in almost 40 years Democrats did not have a Southerner on the ticket, and Southerners (along with the rest of the country) overwhelmingly rejected two [[liberal]]s at the top of their ticket. In 1976, 1992, 1996, 2008, and 2012 the South returned to the Democrat fold.  

With the end of [[Jim Crow]] laws in the mid 1960s, the South became more Republican as it became less racist. The [[War on Poverty]] - which incentivized  out-of-wedlock children - was designed to entice Blacks back onto the [[Democrat plantation]].

With the end of [[Jim Crow]] laws in the mid 1960s, the South became more Republican as it became less racist. The [[War on Poverty]] - which incentivized  out-of-wedlock children - was designed to entice Blacks back onto the [[Democrat plantation]].

Also in the interview, Atwater said:

Also in the interview, Atwater said:

<blockquote>'''But Reagan did not have to do a southern strategy for two reasons. Number one, race was was not a dominant issue. And number two, the mainstream issues in this campaign had been, quote, southern issues since way back in the sixties. So Reagan goes out and campaigns on the issues of economics and of national defense. The whole campaign was devoid of any kind of racism, any kind of reference. And I’ll tell you another thing you all need to think about, that even surprised me, is the lack of interest, really, the lack of knowledge right now in the South among white voters about the Voting Rights Act.'''<ref>[https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2013/06/what-did-lee-atwater-really-say.php What Did Lee Atwater Really Say?]</ref></blockquote>

<blockquote>'''But Reagan did not have to do a southern strategy for two reasons. Number one, race was not a dominant issue. And number two, the mainstream issues in this campaign had been, quote, southern issues since way back in the sixties. So Reagan goes out and campaigns on the issues of economics and of national defense. The whole campaign was devoid of any kind of racism, any kind of reference. And I’ll tell you another thing you all need to think about, that even surprised me, is the lack of interest, really, the lack of knowledge right now in the South among white voters about the Voting Rights Act.'''<ref>[https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2013/06/what-did-lee-atwater-really-say.php What Did Lee Atwater Really Say?]</ref></blockquote>

The bolded items above are omitted from Wikipedia's entry for the "Southern Strategy".<ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_strategy Southern strategy]</ref>  In the interview Atwater makes the point that from 1954 to 1966, race is THE dominant issue and that the only way to win on the issue of race was to be registered as a Democrat.  But by the 1980's, the issue of race is resolved and what most Southerners came to care about is national defense and the economy.

The bolded items above are omitted from Wikipedia's entry for the "Southern Strategy".<ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_strategy Southern strategy]</ref>  In the interview Atwater makes the point that from 1954 to 1966, race is THE dominant issue and that the only way to win on the issue of race was to be registered as a Democrat.  But by the 1980's, the issue of race is resolved and what most Southerners came to care about is national defense and the economy.