Cajun country in 1948 vs. 1964

[Sumner 1868]

A large number of Cajun counties in Louisiana voted for Strom Thurmond in 1948 and LBJ in 1964. In general, the Thurmond vote was concentrated among Black Belt whites who went on to vote Goldwater, so this really stands out. Why did Thurmond do so well here?

[Wazza [INACTIVE]]

Because Thurmond was on the ballot as the Democratic Party in Louisiana along with the 3 other states he won, rather than a third party. Despite this, it was relatively close in much of Southern Louisiana. Had Strom Thurmond been only a third party ticket in all states in 1948, he probably would have lost that area and Louisiana as a whole.

[Skill and Chance]

Because Thurmond was on the ballot as the Democratic Party in Louisiana along with the 3 other states he won, rather than a third party. Despite this, it was relatively close in much of Southern Louisiana. Had Strom Thurmond been only a third party ticket in all states in 1948, he probably would have lost that area and Louisiana as a whole.

This.  The Cajun part of Louisiana was the least invested in the Jim Crow system. 

[mianfei]

Because Thurmond was on the ballot as the Democratic Party in Louisiana along with the 3 other states he won, rather than a third party. Despite this, it was relatively close in much of Southern Louisiana. Had Strom Thurmond been only a third party ticket in all states in 1948, he probably would have lost that area and Louisiana as a whole.

This.  The Cajun part of Louisiana was the least invested in the Jim Crow system. 

Whereas in North and Central Louisiana very few blacks could vote in 1964, in French Louisiana black voter registration increased very substantially between 1948 and 1956 and remained at that level. That explains why the majority-black parishes of French Louisiana were Johnson’s strongest, whereas the majority-black parishes of North Louisiana when almost no blacks could vote were Goldwater’s best in the entire state.

Also, in the heavily white parishes of southwestern Louisiana, Truman had maintained support over Thurmond. In Cameron Parish, easily the whitest in the state, Truman won 66 percent and Thurmond only 26 percent, whereas Wallace in 1968 won 63 percent and Trump in 2016 over 90 percent.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Also, in the heavily white parishes of southwestern Louisiana, Truman had maintained support over Thurmond. In Cameron Parish, easily the whitest in the state, Truman won 66 percent and Thurmond only 26 percent, whereas Wallace in 1968 won 63 percent and Trump in 2016 over 90 percent.

One finds this in many of the the very white rural parts of the deep south. Truman-Wallace-Trump.

Conversely there are also a lot of Thurmond-Nixon-Clinton areas, but these are fewer because of the effects of white flight, so the same vote isn't exactly in the same place that it's parents or grandparents were in 1948 or even 1968.