Oh, come on, that's an easily debunked idea. Read about the Southern Strategy if you don't already know.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_strategy
We have debunked this many times. The south did not vote for the republican party in mass until Raegan years, almost 20 years later after the civil rights movement. It is from this time, that the "deep south" began voting for republicans. If you look at elections:
- 1968 election: republicans (Nixon) did not win the deep south
- 1976 election: republicans (Ford) did not win the deep south
- 1972 election: republicans did win the deep south, along with almost all of the country (Nixon won in 49 states);
If you look at all the elections during those 20 years for governors, you will notice that the racist south was won by democrats most of the times:
1)
Alabama: George Wallace become governor in 1963 (
democrat), his wife Lurleen Wallace became governor in 1966 (
democrat), followed by Alber Brewer in 1968 (
democrat), followed by George Wallace in 1970 again (
democrat), and again in 1974 (
democrat), and again in 1982 (
democrat), until H. Guy Hunt followed in 1987 (
republican).
2)
Georgia: Jimmy Carter became governor in 1970 (
democrat), followed by George Busbee in 1975 (
democrat), followed by Joe Frank Harris in 1983 (
democrat), followed by Zell Miller in 1991 (
democrat).
3)
Florida: Reubin Askew became governor in 1970 (
democrat), followed by Bob Graham in 1979 (
democrat), followed by Wayne Mixson in 1987 (
democrat until 2012)
4)
Louisiana: Edwin Edwards became governor in 1972 (
democrat), followed by David Treen in 1979 (first
republican since reconstruction).
5)
South Carolina: John C. West became governor in 1970 (
democrat), followed by James B. Edwards in 1975 (first
republican since reconstruction)
6)
Tennessee: Winfield Dunn became governor in 1970 (
republican), followed by Ray Blanton in 1975 (
democrat), followed by Lamar Alexander in 1979 (
republican).
7)
Texas: Preston Smith became governor in 1969 (
democrat), followed by Dolph Briscoe in 1973 (
democrat), followed by Bill Clement in 1979 (
republican), followed by Mark White in 1983 (
democrat), followed by Bill Clement again in 1987 (
republican).
8)
Mississippi: John Bell Williams became governor in 1967 (
democrat), followed by Bill Waller in 1972 (
democrat), followed by Cliff Finch in 1976 (
democrat), followed by William Winter in 1980 (
democrat), followed by William Allain in 1984 (
democrat).
9)
Arkansas: Dale Bumpers became governor in 1970 (
democrat), followed by Bob C. Riley in 1974 (
democrat), followed by David Pryor in 1975 (
democrat), followed by Bill Clinton in 1979 (
democrat), also governor from 1983 to 1992.
As you can see witchy. There are a huge number of "southern states", supposed targets of the southern strategy that were won by the democratic party during the 1970's, at both the presidency and the governor level, which is supposedly the time when the republicans had applied that plan. However, if you look, the number of democrats that won those sates was overwhelming. There were republicans indeed, but most taking turns with democrat governors. So this idea that republicans got all the racists on this states is just nonsense. In fact, for most of the 70's and well into the 80's, the south was in large a democratic area, not republican. Its not until the 80's and 90's when the republicans solidify their hold on the south, which makes the argument of the southern startegy, and that fake story of Nixon being racist and winning the south, not true.
Nixon did win the 1972 elections, but he won every state except for one. So you can't attribute a "southern strategy" for that Nixon win, he was just much more popular than his opponent. If what you are saying was true, then by your logic during the 1970's we would have seen a large amount of republican governors, or republican candidates winning the south. Evidence shows, that is not true.
The southern story is a story told by the democratic party, to pin its racism on the republicans, and wash away their own history of racism. Otherwise, were are all the republican governors? I see a few, but most of them are democrats.