Southern Strategy
The causes and consequences of the "Southern Strategy" as it
relates
to African-Americans and the American political system. Richard
Nixon's
"Southern Strategy" (or as the Nixon administration would call
it
"positive polarization") of the 1960s was a political platform
that
provided the final push in transforming the "the party of
Lincoln"
into the political party greatly favored by the great grandsons of
the old
Confederacy. This strategy was aimed at getting support from the
traditionally
Democratic South by promising not to promote sweeping
social or economic changes
in race relations. Nixon argued that he supported
equality however, he was
against "big government". Meaning, he was not in
favor of enforcing
the civil rights or integration laws. He was against
forced busing and
affirmative action. Once Nixon was elected he eliminated
the timeline
requirements for compliance with affirmative action and
integration laws using
this strategy. Nixon assigned the task of promoting
"positive
polarization" to his vice president Spiro Agnew. This promotion
caused
great tension against blacks amongst whites (Spiro would send
representatives
into white communities disguised as minority advocates to
inform them of
government programs created to help minorities at the tax
payer's expense).
Nixon also promoted black capitalism in an effort to
separate middle class
blacks from poor blacks. Nixon's strategy fueled on
racial jealousies was
successful. It helped the GOP win five of the past
eight presidential elections.
It re-established the two-party system,
which was once predominantly, the
Democratic South. In 1994 it helped the
GOP end the 40-year democratic rule in
congress. Why the significance of the
new Black Conservatism within the context
of the "Southern Strategy" combined
with American politics becoming
more conservative in the post 1960s era. The
growth in ethnic minorities in this
country threatens the very existence of
the Republican Party, and the presence
of Black Conservatism is vital to its
survival. The shadow of the "Southern
Strategy" and radical right
association of David Duke, and Pat Buchanan has
most definitely reprieved the
faces of most non-whites to the GOP. The
Republican Party got a glimpse
of the political future last fall when a larger
than expected number of
minority voter turnout helped the Democratic Party gain
five congressional
seats, and unseated two Republican governors in the deep
south. Which brings
us to why Black Conservatism is becoming more conservative
in the post 1960s
era. There is not anything new about the political philosophy
of Black
Conservatives. They merely repeat long-standing white conservative
and
neoconservative arguments. However, what is new in Black conservatives'
analyses
is that it is Black people developing an implicitly racist rationale
for placing
limits on social policies. The rational goes as follows: ·
Although lingering
racism still exists, thanks to the victories of the civil
rights struggles,
racial discrimination is no longer a critical obstacle to
Black progress. We can
speak of a racist American past, but not of a racist
contemporary America. ·
African American demands for equal opportunity
made during the civil rights era
now go too far in demanding equal outcomes.
A non-discriminatory America does
not ensure equal outcomes. Capitalism
maximizes skill and talent and any
differences among ethnic groups, or
between genders, is a function of each
group's particular strengths and
weaknesses. · Today's problems of race
relations and Black poverty cannot be
remedied by government policy alone. The
roots of today's problems are
located first and foremost within African
Americans: in our inability to
successfully compete in a free market system, in
the poor values and
irresponsible and offensive behavior of poor Blacks, in our
psychological
hang-ups about group identity and past victimization, and/or in
our failure
to take full advantage of existing opportunities. In this light, not
only are
government social welfare and legal remedies, such as affirmative
action
programs, unnecessary, they are detrimental to the development of
Black
people. Social welfare programs destroy Black families, foster
debilitating
dependency, and reward irresponsible behavior. · Affirmative
action programs
lower Black self-esteem since whites will always diminish
Black accomplishment
as reflecting only affirmative action imperatives and
Black beneficiaries of
affirmative action programs can never be fully
confident that their success
stems from their talent. These programs are also
detrimental to Blacks because
of the white (male) resentment they engender.
Affirmative action has, in any
case, only benefited more advantaged Blacks. ·
The appropriate strategy for
African Americans is one focusing on self
-help. First, we need to de-emphasize
racial identity and loyalty in favor of
an American identity. Second, African
Americans should compete on the
basis of merit only. Third, we need to
de-emphasize government programs and
civil rights legislation in favor of racial
self-help. Blacks need to focus
on Black entrepreneurship, building and
supporting Black business,
particularly in poor Black neighborhoods. And, most
important, the Black
middle class needs to teach poor African Americans
appropriate values and
behavior. The Republican Party use to be known as
"the party of Lincoln". Now
it is the party that wishes to irradiate
the very principles that Lincoln
began. Black Conservatives build on a
philosophical foundation borrowed from
Booker T. Washington, and incorporate
self-help bromides of Black cultural
nationalist rhetoric. The new Black
Conservative can be viewed as the new
racist culture. The origins of this
nucleus of politicians (Black
Conservatives), and the extent to which they
advance or impede Black
political life in America Today. Dr. Deborah Toler,
author of the article
Black Conservatives states that, Black conservatives' work
does not exhibit a
sustained and systematic examination of conservative
political philosophy and
its potential usefulness for Black Americans. Nor do
the Black conservatives,
most of whom are trained social scientists, engage in
credible social science
research. They ignore reams of data contradicting their
underlying
assumptions and fail to produce reliable statistical evidence or to
generate
ethnographic research to support their positions (Dr. Deborah Toler,
The
Public Eye: Black Conservatives, September 1993). Black Conservatives
are
hindering the progress of African-Americans today. An excellent example
would be
the position of Nathan Glazer's 1975 Book titled, Affirmative
Action, Ethnic
Inequality and Public Policy, which summarized white
neoconservatives'
objections to affirmative action: that, by the end of the
1960s, discrimination
was no longer a major obstacle to minorities' access to
employment, education
and other social mobility mechanisms; affirmative
action has not benefited the
poor who need it most, but has primarily
benefited middle class Blacks and other
minorities; and affirmative action
fuels white resentment against minorities.
Conclusion The "Southern
Strategy" effect is wearing off. The ideals'
of the old Confederacy is most
definitely not the same ideals of the new
majority. The shadows of Nixon's
intolerance doctrine has damaged the image of
the Republican Party. Using
Black Conservatives who have little to no connection
with the
African-American community to capture some of the Black support away
form the
Democratic Party is an extremist tactic to keep the party
alive.
"Compassionate Conservatism" does not exist in this country, and
the
Blacks that belong to the Republican Party are there as tokens.