The Legacy of Nixon?

I was re-reading my earlier post (thank you OCD), and found this:

Even within the Republican Party (can you say Chris Buckley, Colin Powell, Susan Eisenhower) there is a growing list of Obamacans. The reason is precisely because of the racist element within the GOP that represents the last sad gasps of the old South.

And it occurred to me that the Southern Strategy that worked so well in the 60s may be responsible for the failure of the Republican party some 50 years later. Seems plausible.

However, just as I'm saying that, I find this. It reinforces my gut feeling, expressed in other posts, that, given a choice between supporting their racial prejudices or their economic prosperity, people will vote their pocketbooks.

However, by labeling the Southern Strategy a "myth", I think this article misses the larger truth, which is that the GOP gave racist white Americans a safe haven and a continued legitimacy and that has had lasting and negative impact on our national growth.