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I think Southern racism has very little to do with the Republican shift in the Midwest. We've had heavy hispanic immigration for twenty years and they've all be

I think Southern racism has very little to do with the Republican shift in the Midwest. We've had heavy hispanic immigration for twenty years and they've all been fairly well integrated. I would guess what actually happened to the older people I know is that they grew up in union jobs at factories that got sent to Mexico after NAFTA went through. Unions lean heavy Democrat. When the union fails you, I think that leads fairly directly to losing faith in the Democratic party. Further, the insistence by many within the party that the only reason someone would want to leave the Democratic party is that they're racists really doesn't do them any favors.

morelisp 7y ago
I agree that NAFTA is one major inflection point, but it supports 25 years ago, not your 10-15. I mean, I'm in full agreement that the democrats as a party have abandoned anything but the neoliberal project - I just also think if you expect anything but isolationism and racism out of the GOP - neither of which is good for the working class - you've fallen for their big lie. > I think Southern racism has very little to do with the Republican shift in the Midwest. I didn't say "Southern racism", I said "Southern Strategy", which is a specific GOP maneuver to pick up white working-class voters from the 50s onwards, as they calculated it would be better to give up the black and civil-rights focused voter base they were already losing, to pick up the white working-class, primarily agricultural, voters alienated in the South. They used existing racism, but they also stoked it. It was extremely effective (to the point you can even use "Southern racism" as a shorthand and "everyone knows" what you mean). While they mostly couldn't predict a similar opportunity in more industrial labor in the north 2-3 decades later, they definitely didn't miss the chance when it arose - and again, they've used existing racism, but also heightened it in places it was previously marginal.
- war1025 7y ago
  > I agree that NAFTA is one major inflection point, but it supports 25 years ago, not your 10-15. Things take a while to have an impact. The factory my dad worked at for 25 years didn't go to Mexico until 2007 [1]. Manufacturing in the area really didn't start moving to Mexico until the financial crisis. Whether as a result of the crisis itself or just a convenient side effect, I don't know. > I didn't say "Southern racism", I said "Southern Strategy" I know the Southern Strategy. My point is that people in the northern states are much less motivated by racism than you imply. You can choose to believe that or not, but I firmly believe that its true. [1] https://globegazette.com/news/imi-cornelius-to-close-mason-city-plant/article_b1380796-5216-5cdc-b915-43b2c3509f09.html https://globegazette.com/news/imi-cornelius-to-close-mason-c...

morelisp 7y ago

I agree that NAFTA is one major inflection point, but it supports 25 years ago, not your 10-15. I mean, I'm in full agreement that the democrats as a party have abandoned anything but the neoliberal project - I just also think if you expect anything but isolationism and racism out of the GOP - neither of which is good for the working class - you've fallen for their big lie. > I think Southern racism has very little to do with the Republican shift in the Midwest. I didn't say "Southern racism", I said "Southern Strategy", which is a specific GOP maneuver to pick up white working-class voters from the 50s onwards, as they calculated it would be better to give up the black and civil-rights focused voter base they were already losing, to pick up the white working-class, primarily agricultural, voters alienated in the South. They used existing racism, but they also stoked it. It was extremely effective (to the point you can even use "Southern racism" as a shorthand and "everyone knows" what you mean). While they mostly couldn't predict a similar opportunity in more industrial labor in the north 2-3 decades later, they definitely didn't miss the chance when it arose - and again, they've used existing racism, but also heightened it in places it was previously marginal.

war1025 7y ago
> I agree that NAFTA is one major inflection point, but it supports 25 years ago, not your 10-15. Things take a while to have an impact. The factory my dad worked at for 25 years didn't go to Mexico until 2007 [1]. Manufacturing in the area really didn't start moving to Mexico until the financial crisis. Whether as a result of the crisis itself or just a convenient side effect, I don't know. > I didn't say "Southern racism", I said "Southern Strategy" I know the Southern Strategy. My point is that people in the northern states are much less motivated by racism than you imply. You can choose to believe that or not, but I firmly believe that its true. [1] https://globegazette.com/news/imi-cornelius-to-close-mason-city-plant/article_b1380796-5216-5cdc-b915-43b2c3509f09.html https://globegazette.com/news/imi-cornelius-to-close-mason-c...