The white south almost always voted Democratic because they associated Republicans with Lincoln. The major shift began in 1964, when Johnson supported the Civil Rights Act and Goldwater opposed it.
BTW, without Republican votes none of the civil rights laws of that era would have passed.
The BIG reason white Souvrn'rs moved to Republicans was the Republicans began running Republicans for office for every position ~ and that was because the Democrats had quit murdering Republican candidates.
Only Democrat 'historians' believe the Souf' was as solidly Democrat as it seemed to be ~ more reliable and rational political analysts believe the Republican demiurge always existed and it was just a matter of time until the Republicans would tap into it.
Not true. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was drafted by Republicans at Eisenhower’s request in the 1950’s. It was defeated by the Democrat majority Congress. After violence erupted in the 1960’s, Kennedy quietly asked the Republicans to resurrect it. It finally passed under Johnson with 80% support from Republicans and only 60% support from Democrats. The switch is the result of successful lies by the Democrats and their taking all of the credit for the Civil Rights Act. Of course, there is more to it, but I wanted to correct the key point.
Best I remember it also started before then. Shifting due to the integration issue. Some shifted over because the Pubbies always believed in States Rights.
All of a sudden some of the Democrats believed in state’s rights too. That’s how the liberals were able to smear the term State’s Rights by associating it with racism, and ultimately smear Pubbies as being racist too.
In general, it could even be viewed as the same old argument of the Federalist vs the Anti Federalist, and which party is perceived as being less inclined to mix in with the affairs that rightfully belong to the states.