The Great Switch

Being a southerner, it's pretty embarrassing that the Great Switch Occurred because of Republican presidential candidate Barry Goldwater's opposition to civil rights. From this point on, the South has transitioned from being pretty much completely Democratic to being predominantly Republican. I don't like the fact that the South is still viewed as quite racist, considering that the Civil Rights Era happened a long time ago. However, there are other reasons for this transition. There has been economic and industrial growth in the region that has attracted people from all over the country. This has contributed to a growing upper-middle class. People in the upper-middle class tend to vote Republican because they believe their economic interests will be protected in the form of tax cuts, etc. Also, there is a large group of white southerners who belong to the religious right political movement who vote for conservative republicans who share their values. Thus, the Great Switch was not all about race. 

I also believe that another "Great Switch" will occur again in the South in which it returns to being predominantly Democratic. The final generation that lived during the era of segregation and Civil Rights is on its way out, and the first generation truly blind to face is finally being born. Therefore, I believe that race will be a very small factor in politics in the not too distant future.