ALMOST without exception racist democrats stayed democrats. The people who switched were the people who had moved from the North years before and were forced to become democrat because the South was a one party system.
At that time if you registered Republican you were throwing your vote away. Northerners felt they could vote for the least offensive democrat if they became democrats. Staying Republican while living in the deep South one party system (back then) meant every person you voted for lost.
Hollings was a racist democrat, so was Bull Conner, and George Wallace and KKK Bryd who ruled the Senate for decades. The press did NOT OUT democrat racists because many of them had been racist too. Yeah, most newspaper editors were racists in the South...people who switched on a dime. Bill Clinton's mentor was a racist... and BillandHillary had their little confederate battle flag campaign buttons. Jimmah Carter and his family were racists who switched when they realized the way the winds were blowing. I fear you've bought into democrat bullshit.
I’m afraid you’re preaching Republican manure.
In NC Jesse Helms led thousands of Democrats into the GOP fold starting with his television commentaries that led him to be the successful GOP candidate for Senate in 1972.