Why was Larry McDonald a Democrat?

[darklordoftech]

He was an actual John Bircher and a fan of McCarthy, and his stated views and voting record was to the right of most Republicans, so why did he run as a Democrat in 1974?

[Brother Jonathan]

I mean, he was elected in Georgia in the 1970s. This was a state that had elected Lester Maddox as a Democratic Governor only a few years before McDonald entered Congress, and later elected him to be Lt. Governor. John Rarick was also elected as a Democrat in 1974, so there were still a few hard right Democrats around. A lot of Southern Democrats were to the right of the GOP, it was just an identity thing keeping them tied to the Democrats. McDonald also often ranted against the Rockefellers (still very active in Republican politics at the time), the bankers, one world government, etc., which fits the old Jacksonian Democratic talking points, and McDonald often highlighted this point. 

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Simple, legacy, power and access. There was no GA GOP to speak off in the 1970's and it was still a one party state down ballot even though Nixon had won the state in 1972 and Goldwater had in 1964. Aside from Gingrich, Republicans would not achieve a breakthrough in the state's delegation until 1992/1994.

Also there were many Southern Democrats that were fans of Joe McCarthy, a few that would have been favorable to the John Birch society and stuck with the Democrats for that same reason.

For one thing, they were born and raised to despise the Republicans as the party that burnt down Great Grandpappy's barn and killed Johnny at Chattanooga. Voted as they shot was a real thing even 100 years later. In a world without TV, radio being relatively new, oral story telling was a big thing and full of embellishments and distortions. This kept the Civil War legacy alive for so long.

Furthermore, you have to remember that while a large number of "Conservative" Democrats had started to bolt for the GOP in the 1950's, this was not overnight, hence the problematic nature of emphasizing a single moment in history (usually the CRA) as being the key moment. It took years to play out, even decades and in some states this process was elongated more than others based on local party strength and residual power/influence and the inertia that it creates. That quote from Tom Delay comes to mind where a voter told him "I agree with everything you say, but I cannot vote for you, because you are a Republican and a Republican will never win Fort Bend County".

Plus there are elements of the GOP that would have discouraged them from doing so. Jacob Javits was still a liberal Republican Senator from New York, Nelson Rockefeller had just ended his term as New York Governor. There is also the Nixon administration and its actions. Price controls, detente, support for Israel, Henry Kissinger,  creation of the EPA, and aggressive enforcement of the VRA (this was part of the southern strategy, as per Kevin Phillips to increase black voting with the expectation they would become Democrats and cause heretofore white Democrats to become Republican and thus break the good ole boy network and inertial strength referenced above. In fact, he aggressively advocates this saying slow walking will allow said people to fall back into their comfort zone and lead to them remaining as Democrats). Then there is watergate itself, which even while Conservative Democrats, would have alarmed a number of them.

The Republican Party was in dire shape in the mid 1970s and while Democrats were seen as leaving these people behind, it was much better to stick with the good ole boys then affiliate with a party long berated as the enemy and suffering from both its recent corruption, economic problems under its watch and image as a party of business and country clubbers. This is where the animous towards RINOs stems from, the belief that the presence of people like Javits actively discouraged conservative Wallace supporters from being Republican. I recall Ann Coulter saying after Chafee was defeated, "Now little kids won't be confused about what we are about". Just like the whole "Not a dime's worth a difference" mantra originates from Wallace himself. There was even talk of a third party uniting Conservative Republicans with Wallace supporters during this same time period, and it was to this backdrop that Reagan made the famous speech about "not needing a third party but a revitalized second party".

The question becomes not why did he run as a Democrat, but why would he have even considered doing anything else? 

[darklordoftech]

one world government

There was “one world government” rhetoric in the 1790s-1850s?

[Brother Jonathan]

one world government

There was “one world government” rhetoric in the 1790s-1850s?

No, not really, but I doubt Jacksonians would have liked the idea. McDonald just took the Jacksonian "banks are evil" rhetoric and tied it to "one world government" rhetoric.

[DINGO Joe]

Probably the most accurate descendant of McDonald's district is GA-14 and lo and behold the leader in the R primary for the House for GA-14 is an openly QAnon  supporter.  Good to know that the district is still bringing the crazy.  It voted 75% for Trump.

[Sam Smith]

He wanted to make the Democratic Party more Conservative.

Georgia was a Democratic State at that time.