@godpod I think that's definitely performative, as you say, but also linked to facts such as Democratic Gov. Wallace's shameless racism. What's overlooked is that while Dixiecrats were broadly racist, so were most Republican leaders of the time. It was in fact events such as the showdown between Democrat Wallace and Democrat LBJ that led to Dixiecrats joining the GOP, depleting the Democratic Party of racists and concentrating them in the GOP.