What the GOP Lost When It Won the South

COMING HOME TO ROOST

Why this week’s fight over the Confederate flag is a direct result of the “Southern Strategy” that turned Dixie red—and injected a lot of cultural baggage into the GOP.

Senior Columnist

Published Jun. 23 2015 6:40PM EDT

articles/2015/06/23/what-the-gop-lost-when-it-won-the-south/150623-lewis-gop-south-tease_z6bsrj — Alamy

As the Republican field and corporations like Wal-Mart slowly but surely distance themselves from the Confederate flag, a subplot involves a trend I’ve been documenting for a while now: How the GOP is being forced to engage in some major soul searching.

The coalition the GOP assembled to win national elections...

Matt Lewis

Senior Columnist

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What the GOP Lost When It Won the South

Why this week’s fight over the Confederate flag is a direct result of the “Southern Strategy” that turned Dixie red—and injected a lot of cultural baggage into the GOP.

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Matt Lewis