Lecture on Republican Strategy and Lee Atwater

Overview

• Discussion on the strategies used by the Republican party to increase turnout among white racist voters.
• Historical context of the Southern Strategy initiated by Richard Nixon.
• Adaptation and continuation of these strategies by Lee Atwater during the Reagan era.

Southern Strategy

• Origin: Began in the late 1960s and early 1970s by Richard Nixon.
• Purpose: To attract white racist voters who felt alienated after the Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act passed under Lyndon Johnson.

Lee Atwater's Adaptation

• Lee Atwater was a key figure in updating the Southern Strategy for the Reagan Revolution.
• Objective: Use race as a political tool without overt racist language.
  • Transitioned from using explicit racist terms to more abstract language.
  • Emphasized economic policies (e.g., cutting welfare) that would disproportionately affect Black communities but appear race-neutral.

Examples of Coded Language

• 1950s-60s: Use of explicit language, such as the n-word.
• 1970s: Terms like "forced busing" and "states' rights," which were understood to be about race.
• 1980s Onward: Focus shifted to economic terms, such as "cutting taxes," which indirectly target minority groups according to Atwater.

Strategy Explanation by Lee Atwater

• Quote: Discusses how the abstraction of racial issues makes it difficult for opponents to accuse Republicans of racism.
• Analysis: This approach was meant to attract the same voter base as George Wallace supporters without the overt racism.

Contemporary Reflections

• The speaker expresses horror at the continuation of such strategies.
• Noted the implicit racism within economic policies that are designed to appeal to certain voter demographics.

Conclusion

• The lecture concludes by connecting historical and contemporary political strategies.
• Encourages viewers to stay informed through media resources.