The Southern Strategy since Carter

In 1966 in rural Georgia, a young, attractive, and wealthy graduate of one of the nation’s military academies was planning the next decade: 1966—get elected governor of Georgia, receive national publicity for defeating a well-known racist; 1968— become the vice presidential candidate, adding Southern balance to the national ticket; 1976—get elected President of the United States, the first Southerner (LBJ was a self-proclaimed Westerner) in over a century.

Give or take a strategy, it could have been Jimmy Carter. But it was Republican “Bo” Callaway, and his best laid plans never got past Phase I—Phase I being secretly to set up Lester Maddox of axe-handle fame as his opponent. The rest is history, and today a different Georgian—young, attractive, wealthy, and a Democrat—sits in the White House.

HW

About the Author

Hastings Wyman Jr.

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In 1966 in rural Georgia, a young, attractive, and wealthy graduate of one of the nation’s military academies was planning the next decade: 1966—get elected governor of Georgia, receive national publicity for defeating a well-known racist; 1968— become the vice presidential candidate, adding Southern balance to the national ticket; 1976—get elected President of the United States, the first Southerner (LBJ was a self-proclaimed Westerner) in over a century.

Give or take a strategy, it could have been Jimmy Carter. But it was Republican “Bo” Callaway, and his best laid plans never got past Phase I—Phase I being secretly to set up Lester Maddox of axe-handle fame as his opponent. The rest is history, and today a different Georgian—young, attractive, wealthy, and a Democrat—sits in the White House.