One thing is absolute fact. The Dixiecrats (Southern democrats) jumped to the Republican Party in the 60s and 70s, not the big government democrat party. The primary reason was democrats shoving affirmative action and school busing down the their throats and also the democrats hitching up with the bra burning women feminist movement/pro abortion crowd. That is why the Southern Democrats (Dixiecrats if you will) joined the Republicans.
The Dixicrats left the democrat party in 1948 and they left because they favored segregation, Jim Crow, and white supremacy and hoped that they would find sanctuary in the republican party. Affirmative action, school busing, bra burning hadn't happened yet. They formed a new party called the States' Rights Democratic Party. One of their central planks said,
We stand for the segregation of the races and the racial integrity of each race; the constitutional right to choose one's associates; to accept private employment without governmental interference, and to earn one's living in any lawful way. We oppose the elimination of segregation, the repeal of miscegenation statutes, the control of private employment by Federal bureaucrats called for by the misnamed civil rights program. We favor home-rule, local self-government and a minimum interference with individual rights.The States' Rights Democratic Party didn't last too long and some returned to the democrat party with others drifting to the Republican party.
It is true that the Republicans favored less government than the democrats, but only by a matter of degree. It was conservatives operating within the Republican party who truly favored smaller, more responsive government, but the Dixicrats only wanted the federal government to leave them to continue their practice of oppression.
In fact, Southern Democrats had a hard time deciding which way to jump.
Yes, in 1964, to their everlasting credit, five (only five!) Deep South states voted for Conservative Republican Goldwater over Liberal-Texas Democrat Lyndon Johnson.
And in 1972 they all voted for Nixon over the hapless South Dakota Democrat McGovern.
But, by 1976 they all voted for Georgia Democrat Peanut Carter over Michigan's Mr. Nice Guy Ford, before turning solidly Conservative Republican in 1980 for Ronald Reagan.
Even so, Zippers Clinton carried half the previously Solid South in both 1992 and 1996.
So the South's transition from pre-1964 Big-Spending Liberal-Progressive Democrats to solidly Conservative Republican really took over 35 years.
Of course, we conservatives outside the South hugely, hugely appreciate what a struggle of conscience and emotions that change must have taken.
We understand it, appreciate it and sincerely thank you for it!
We know it was not easy for you, and we are not going to let you pretend now that it never happened.
It's why we're here to help you, FRiends.