Given the GOP’s ambiguous, at best, stance on racial issues, black people moving over to the Republican Party en masse would be a poor strategic decision. The truth is, the Republican Party has never fully divested itself of the
vestiges of the Southern Strategy, which in the late 1960s and early ’70s invited segregationists into the party to secure a majority. Too many conservative elected officials and civic organizations still readily accept and are dependent on the votes and money of their less than racially tolerant constituents. This isn’t to suggest that all Republicans are racist or uninterested in improving race relations, but the party’s leadership still humors racist voters, especially during primary season.
This dynamic was revealed during the Trump campaign, and is the reason an
embarrassing pol such as Roy Moore could win the Republican Senate primary in Alabama. The specter of blowback from the base is palpable every time a prominent Republican equivocates or stumbles over empathetic clichés when addressing atrocities caused by
racial animus such as in Charlottesville. As long as the Republican Party continues to caucus with even a minority of racists, it cannot adequately address race issues in a way that gives many African American voters comfort. The party’s advocacy for state’s rights without addressing the historical discriminatory behavior of some states also is a significant obstacle for black voters looking for change.