Why exactly did Goldwater get 87% in MS in 1964?

[RBH]

So, how exactly do you explain the GOP being "the party that passed the Civil Rights Act" and the GOP being "the party who nominated a Senator who voted against the Civil Rights Act"?

As for the GOP being the party of civil rights.

The Compromise of 1877.

[minionofmidas]

Was the civil rights issue the reason that Utah voted for LBJ?  I have difficulty believing this.  Utah is so ultra-right-wing AND is next door to Goldwater's state, so I can't believe that Goldwater lost in Utah.

The GOP was (and still is) the leader in giving Civil Rights to people.  When LBJ sided with the Republicans on the Civil Rights issue, and Goldwater (contrary to his vast Civil Rights accomplishments) sided against it, the whole country, except the racist states, went for LBJ.

The GOP was founded upon promoting moral issues.

The last sentence of this post is true.

[??????????]

Was the civil rights issue the reason that Utah voted for LBJ?  I have difficulty believing this.  Utah is so ultra-right-wing AND is next door to Goldwater's state, so I can't believe that Goldwater lost in Utah.

The GOP was (and still is) the leader in giving Civil Rights to people.  When LBJ sided with the Republicans on the Civil Rights issue, and Goldwater (contrary to his vast Civil Rights accomplishments) sided against it, the whole country, except the racist states, went for LBJ.

JMF,

I don't know what considerations in your opinion make a state "racist" but many states outside those that voted for Goldwater had racist laws in place at the time of the 1964 election.

[A18]

The 1964 "Civil Rights" Act was horrible.

[Gustaf]

Northern Republicans and Democrats were generally in favour of civil rights, Southern Republicans and Democrats were generally against. At that time, for historical reasons, pretty much all Southerners were Democrats, something that gives an impression of Republicans being more favourable to civil rights. The Republicans really ceased to be a pro-civil rights party in the 1870s.

[© tweed]

The 1964 "Civil Rights" Act was horrible.

I'd like to see somebody run on that platform.  True or not, which I won't pretend to be any kind of expert on the subject, it wouldn't be overwhelmingly popular.

[Rob]

lewis, do you literally mean that *no* black voted in mississippi in 64? 

Theodore White notes, in The Making of the President 1964, that there was an all-black enclave in Mississippi that cast several hundred votes that year- and literally every single one was for Johnson. There were also a handful of voting blacks scattered throughout the state- in fact, there are several Delta counties where Goldwater would have likely gotten 100 percent had no blacks at all voted.

[Ebowed]

lewis, do you literally mean that *no* black voted in mississippi in 64? 

Theodore White notes, in The Making of the President 1964, that there was an all-black enclave in Mississippi that cast several hundred votes that year- and literally every single one was for Johnson. There were also a handful of voting blacks scattered throughout the state- in fact, there are several Delta counties where Goldwater would have likely gotten 100 percent had no blacks at all voted.

How are those Theodore White books?  I've been looking for the 1964, 1968, and 1972 volumes with no luck.

[Rob]

How are those Theodore White books?  I've been looking for the 1964, 1968, and 1972 volumes with no luck.

They're not bad. The general consensus is that 1960 is the best (he won the Pulitzer for that one), but I prefer 1964.

[The Duke]

LBJ won b/c of the sympathy vote. That simple. What a disgusting human being. Really a disgrace to the office in ways Democrats now just think Bush is.

Why did 87% of Mississippi not have sympathy for Johnson while almost everyone else did?  Why was this lack of sympathy concentrated in the deep south, and no where else?  Obviously its because it wasn't pure sympathy, and to suggest this is illogical.  Sympathy palyed a role in the landslide, but other factors were at play too.

So, how exactly do you explain the GOP being "the party that passed the Civil Rights Act" and the GOP being "the party who nominated a Senator who voted against the Civil Rights Act"?

As for the GOP being the party of civil rights.

The Compromise of 1877.

If you think Goldwater won the nomination because he opposed Civil Rights, you're a doofus.

Goldwater opposed the Civil Rights Act on grounds of states rights, not principle.  It was an inability of Republicans to stand up for states rights and small government that motivated the Goldwater nomination, not racism.

[minionofmidas]

How are those Theodore White books?  I've been looking for the 1964, 1968, and 1972 volumes with no luck.

They're not bad. The general consensus is that 1960 is the best (he won the Pulitzer for that one), but I prefer 1964.

Yeah, I read 1960 once.

[minionofmidas]

Northern Republicans and Democrats were generally in favour of civil rights, Southern Republicans and Democrats were generally against. At that time, for historical reasons, pretty much all Southerners were Democrats, something that gives an impression of Republicans being more favourable to civil rights. The Republicans really ceased to be a pro-civil rights party in the 1870s.

Exactly. The act was passed by a coalition of all Northern Dems, most Northern Reps, some Southern Dems and no Southern Reps.

[Ebowed]

There were only, what, two Southern Republicans in the first place (John Tower of Texas and Strom Thurmond of South Carolina).

[minionofmidas]

There were only, what, two Southern Republicans in the first place (John Tower of Texas and Strom Thurmond of South Carolina).

That's in the Senate.

[Ebowed]

D'oh.  Right you are.  (I knew I should have spent more time on the House and less on the Senate when I studied this.  But the Senate just seemed so much more interesting!)