Nixon Deploys Southern Strategy in 1970 Midterm Elections

Nixon and Vice President Spiro Agnew campaigned in the 1970 midterms by explicitly appealing to white Southern voters resentful of civil rights gains, attacking school busing and 'law and order' opponents. Nixon adviser Kevin Phillips had outlined the strategy in 'The Emerging Republican Majority' (1969), targeting white ethnic and Southern voters by exploiting racial backlash.