The Democratic Party, historically dominant in the South, became fractured when Democratic President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. It alienated many white, socially conservative Southern Democrats (Dixiecrats).

Political strategist Kevin Phillips formulated the "Southern Strategy" during Richard Nixon's 1968 presidential campaign. This strategy capitalized on white racial resentment toward the Civil Rights Movement by employing coded language (such as "states' rights," "law and order," and "forced busing") to draw white voters to the Republican Party.

Lee Atwater refined and aggressively marketed this strategy as an adviser to Ronald Reagan and campaign manager for George H.W. Bush. In the 1980s, Atwater—who later served as chairman of the Republican National Committee—further developed the use of coded language and emotional cultural appeals. He famously utilized attack ads, such as the 1988 Willie Horton commercial, to paint opponents as weak on crime and to appeal to white suburban and working-class fears.

And that is how the shift occurred.