Was the Southern Strategy Real? Did the Parties Switch? Does it Matter? (Spoiler Alert: Yes)

Another Progressive Podcast

The mainstream historical narrative of modern American politics is that from the 1960's to the 1980's, the Republican Party engaged in the "Southern Strategy", where they capitalized on Southern Democrats' opposition to civil rights, and used their racial fears to bring them into the Republican Party, creating what is called the "Party Switch". However, modern conservative intellectuals deny this narrative, claiming it is all a myth. From the internet, to college campuses, to the halls of congress, PragerU, Ben Shapiro, Charlie Kirk and Candace Owens have maintained this stance. But can we trust their account of history? Is their analysis of the Southern Strategy right? In this episode, I take a look at the arguments they make to defend their stance, and analyze the history that contradicts them.