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How did the party that opposed Civil Rights end up with blacks voting for them?

reefedjib

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The majority of black voters vote Democratic. Yet the Democrats were the party that opposed Civil Rights. How did they manage to attract blacks as a major voting constituency?
 
Well the Party has changed since the 60s. That is probably a big part of it. And I guess for some reason the Democrats attract minorities.
 
Well the Party has changed since the 60s. That is probably a big part of it. And I guess for some reason the Democrats attract minorities.

The Democrats attract the poor. Something to do with all of the benefits they extend to that demographic.
 
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The Democrats attract the poor. Something to do with all of the benefits they extend to that demographic.

So then do that many blacks live below the poverty level? I mean I know a fair amount do, but as a demographic they really do overwhelming vote Democratic so there must be something else.
 
LBJ signed the Civil Rights Act of 1965. The Democratic Party had been split in the 60s over the issue of race and civil rights. You can search the Dixiecrats to get a better understanding of the divide. I believe it would be more appropriate to look at it as a regional difference rather than party. LBJ, after signing the Civil Rights Act, was famous for saying, "We (Democrats) have lost the South for a generation." However, LBJ was a Democrat and often it is the party that is in power (the Dems had both the House and Senate), that receives the credit or blame. Despite this, it is true that a higher % of Republicans voted in favor of the Civil Rights Act than did the % of Democrats. Republicans had more control in the north, Dems in the south.

As for today, I suppose the policies of the Democrats sit more favorably with blacks.
 
So then do that many blacks live below the poverty level? I mean I know a fair amount do, but as a demographic they really do overwhelming vote Democratic so there must be something else.
spending programs for the lower middle class and party loyalty
 
Party alignments shifted, Dems became liberal, Reps conservative, I believe it was Roosevelt's New Deal that was the catalyst for this.
 
The Democrats attract the poor. Something to do with all of the benefits they extend to that demographic.

Its not that simple. Plenty of middle and upper class people vote democrat most of the time and plenty of lower and middle class people vote Republican.

I would agree that most people vote for a party because of what they believe they will in the case of many dems, or will not do in the case of many reps, but saying simply that poor only vote Dem would be wrong. It would mean that the poor constitute more than half the country in some areas and in some presidential elections the entire country.
 
The majority of black voters vote Democratic. Yet the Democrats were the party that opposed Civil Rights. How did they manage to attract blacks as a major voting constituency?

That is and easy one............The democrats promise minorities the moon to get their vote and then they never deliver..............
 
The majority of black voters vote Democratic. Yet the Democrats were the party that opposed Civil Rights. How did they manage to attract blacks as a major voting constituency?

For the same reason the party that freed the slaves would later exploit opposition to the cultural upheaval of the 1960s/70s in reaction to the changing economics of the South, better known as the GOP's Southern Strategy.

Politics.
 
So then do that many blacks live below the poverty level? I mean I know a fair amount do, but as a demographic they really do overwhelming vote Democratic so there must be something else.

Good point. Could it be the Democrats actions to highlight identity politics? Versus the Republicans actions to highlight self-reliance.
 
LBJ signed the Civil Rights Act of 1965. The Democratic Party had been split in the 60s over the issue of race and civil rights. You can search the Dixiecrats to get a better understanding of the divide. I believe it would be more appropriate to look at it as a regional difference rather than party. LBJ, after signing the Civil Rights Act, was famous for saying, "We (Democrats) have lost the South for a generation." However, LBJ was a Democrat and often it is the party that is in power (the Dems had both the House and Senate), that receives the credit or blame. Despite this, it is true that a higher % of Republicans voted in favor of the Civil Rights Act than did the % of Democrats. Republicans had more control in the north, Dems in the south.

As for today, I suppose the policies of the Democrats sit more favorably with blacks.

Thanks for the history. What specific policies do you see as sitting more favorably with blacks?
 
Party alignments shifted, Dems became liberal, Reps conservative, I believe it was Roosevelt's New Deal that was the catalyst for this.

The New Deal predates the Civil Rights Act.
 
Its not that simple. Plenty of middle and upper class people vote democrat most of the time and plenty of lower and middle class people vote Republican.

I would agree that most people vote for a party because of what they believe they will in the case of many dems, or will not do in the case of many reps, but saying simply that poor only vote Dem would be wrong. It would mean that the poor constitute more than half the country in some areas and in some presidential elections the entire country.

Ok. I was specifically talking about the black demographic of the Democratic Party, not the entire demographic. Both parties have a big tent with multiple demographics. I did say that poor blacks vote Democratic.

I am more than willing to let this thread expand to look at the general philosophy behind the Democratic platform that attracts so many demographics to it, versus the same for Republicans. Though I have not read it yet, the book Amazon.com: A Conflict of Visions: Ideological Origins of Political Struggles (9780465002054): Thomas Sowell: Books was recommended to me and covers this exact question. It evidently talks of a "constrained" worldview and an "unconstrained" worldview vying for supremacy. Evidently, "constrained" would be conservative and "unconstrained" would be liberal. I am sorry I don't have a better understanding yet.
 
That is and easy one............The democrats promise minorities the moon to get their vote and then they never deliver..............

I think they do deliver to a degree.
 
For the same reason the party that freed the slaves would later exploit opposition to the cultural upheaval of the 1960s/70s in reaction to the changing economics of the South, better known as the GOP's Southern Strategy.

Politics.

This makes no point at all, calling it politics and providing an example that is in no way related to civil rights. Try again.
 
The Democrats attract the poor. Something to do with all of the benefits they extend to that demographic.

This is correct... they do this by promising welfare, social justice, and aligning with civil rights leaders. In other words, they changed their narrative in the 1960's and enslaved entire generations by keeping the poor, poor. In that way, they have an embedded base of voters who are very loyal because they have no other choice... either continue voting for their handout or not. Which one do you think they will choose? Something for nothing is a very good platform when these people are not being educated, are not being empowered, etc. :shrug:
 
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