The Confederacy, the 1960s, and the Modern GOP

For purposes of this blog, the ‘modern GOP’ is defined as 1994 when the Republican Party took control of the House of Representatives. It is a key point because modern history shows that is the point where politics go from collegiate to confrontation. It is opinion, but I believe the transition to the Baby Boomers in control of Congress and the presidency is what helped set us on course for the antagonistic policies of today.

Worse, the Republican ‘southern strategy’ of the 1970s wooed white Democrats in the south away from their traditional Democratic allegiance–a change they were willing to make politically given the failure to prevent the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and most other “liberal” policies from that era (on up through Roe v. Wade…which isn’t what people think it is anyways)

Thus, the Democratic Party, the party that was once the lobbying arm of slaveholders and then segregationists, changed as it shed its leaders to the Republican Party, transforming the GOP into the party it fought a Civil War to defeat (1861-1865), fought to transform in Reconstruction (1866-1876), and then much later, fought to force the beginning of integration against.

Is it true though? Has the Republican Party been co-opted into truly being the party of the Confederacy and the Redeemers? Might as well check numbers, right?

First–former Confederate states account for roughly 1/3 of the current population of the United States. That means we should expect about 1/3 of positions to be held by those people (yes, simplistic since many GOP politicians have no interest in representing the interests of many of their state’s population). So though we expect 1/3 of the spots to be held, it wouldn’t be unreasonable for that to be as high as 1/2 (50%) since I’m choosing a point where someone from Georgia becomes Speaker of the House as the jump-off point.

So:

Republican House Whips: 7 years Illinois 19 years former CSA states

Speaker of the House: 8 years Illinois (ended involuntarily) 8 years other Union states (none from out west) 4 years CSA

Senate Party Leadership: 26 years, former CSA states

Senate Whip: 18 years CSA 2 years Great Plains 6 years southern/not part of CSA [Arizona]

73% CSA – House Whip 20% CSA – House Party Leader 69% CSA – Senate Whip 100% CSA – Senate Party Leader

Considering that the former CSA states make up roughly 33% of the US population…yes, the GOP has been taken over by the Confederacy’s rich white elite.

Now, what do we have for Democratic leadership 1994-present

Democrat House Whips: 20 years Union states (including Maryland which was pro-slavery in the 1860s and is sometimes considered southern) 6 years CSA

Speaker of the House: 6 years Union state (two separate stints by Nancy Pelosi – CA; the last southern leader’s stint ended in 1989)

Senate Party Leadership: 4 year Union 10 years Great Plains 12 years Wild West Senate Whip: 16 years Union States 6 years CSA 4 years Wild West

So for the Democrats, we have:

23% CSA – House Whip 0% CSA – House Party Leader 23% CSA – Senate Whip 0% CSA – Senate Party Leader

Basically, as the GOP was taken over by the old Confederacy, the Democratic Party changed its leadership, shifting it away from Southern control (and yes, the Democratic leadership changes are a response to the initial GOP one).

I don’t necessarily have much to conclude–but it is without question that the southern white aristocracy controls the Republican Party.