"But Democrats supported slavery"

[SHRED]

You hear this refrain a lot in a weak attempt to frame us as pro slavery.
Especially now.

What's conveniently omitted either through ignorance or deceit is a major political shift that took place in the south.

In American politics, the southern strategy was a Republican Party electoral strategy to increase political support among white voters in the South by appealing to racism against African Americans.[1][2][3] As the Civil Rights Movement and dismantling of Jim Crow laws in the 1950s and 1960s visibly deepened pre-existing racial tensions in much of the Southern United States, Republican politicians such as presidential candidate Richard Nixon and Senator Barry Goldwater developed strategies that successfully contributed to the political realignment of many white, conservative voters in the South to the Republican Party that had traditionally supported the Democratic Party.[4] It also helped push the Republican Party much more to the right.[4]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_strategy

[BootinUp]

1. You have to be at a 3rd grade level

to fall for that one.

[SweetieD]

2. I don't even argue with people about that anymore. They aren't ignorant they are just purposefully

being obtuse. Arguing is a waste of time.

[bearsfootball516]

3. I've seen that quite often

Along with "Lincoln was a Republican"

Conveniently ignoring that back then, those Republicans stood for what the modern-day Democrats stand for, and back then Democrats stood for what modern-day Republicans stand for.

[HughBeaumont]

4. More AnCrap revisionist nonsense.

As if we can't read books or anything . . .

[still_one]

5. and if Lincoln were alive today he would be a Democrat

[DetlefK]

6. So... it was a republican President who waged the "War of Northern Aggression"?

How come they never accuse the Republican Party of destroying the South?

[SFnomad]

7. And don't forget ... Martin Luther King Jr. was a Republican #smh n/t

[Proud Liberal Dem]

8. That drives me crazy

It's like everything before the 1960's is the only relevant history when discussing the Democratic Party and slavery, racism, etc. but NOTHING after the 1960's is relevant when discussing the Republican Party and racism, "southern strategy".

[Wounded Bear]

9. And now all those democrats are Southern Republicans...

[Aristus]

10. That argument is 150 years out-of-date.

Just like everything else they believe...

[LWolf]

11. I didn't hear it a lot

until recently. Yes, occasionally, but just in the last 4 days, it's popping up everywhere, every time I turn around, and from some surprising sources.

It's obviously become a programmed talking point.

Some Democrats are responding by trying to explain a more modern "flip" during the second half of the 20th century. In reality, the evolution of the two parties was a gradual process, beginning after the Civil War and continuing for over 135 years. Regardless, things evolve, and that includes political parties. For the Democratic Party, that evolution, in my lifetime, has unfortunately included the adoption of neoliberal ideology and policies.

The best response to this weak-sauce refrain designed to deflect and distract is a simple reminder that slavery ended with the 13th amendment, and that everybody, including Democrats, moved on and evolved from there. That the issue then became one of civil liberties and equality, which remains the issue today. Where do both major parties stand on that issue today? Neither is clean, but I think we can provide ample evidence that one is stronger than the other.

[Gothmog]

12. Nixon's southern strategy changed everything

[procon]

13. Full throated Whataboutism won't change the fact that Republicans now own

racism and discrimination, lock, stock and barrel.

[bluepen]

14. Just ask if those Democrats were liberals or conservatives.

You'll see some world-class dodging in response.