ross barnett, ross barnett. curtis wilkie: barnett had a reputation of just kind of a blundering blunderbuss. and we all thought he was a complete buffoon, something of a fool. he was constantly doing goofy things. so he was a laughable figure of mythic proportions here in mississippi history. gerald blessey: he had been a trial lawyer. he made a lot of money appealing to juries. so he was tall and gregarious. he used language that a six-year-old would understand. he appealed to racial hatred and bias. curtis wilkie: oh, he was a quintessential demagogue. ross barnett: my conscience is clear. i am moved only by a deep and abiding affection for the welfe of all of the people of mississippi. dona r. colethe syst thatallowee was a system that had pretty much disenfranchised the people of color vote. and so i'm sure that he felt free to use them and use that to promote his political will. frank thackston: the key to political success in mississippi at the time was to convince the voters that you're more conservative

georgia will wallace and ross barnett all of those southern governorsn only one switched. only one through d the rest of them state democrats reverend people voted for o them. so i started asking the question why did this happen? it goes back to cognitive dissonance. it makes perfect sense. you've been beaten down purported years. if they had just paid attention we were fighting and dying shop by water hoses and bitten by dogs. they go to school beside them id a way came to vote we would vote with them. it makes perfect sense. >> host: why are so skeptical about the republican party? >> a good friend of yours lee atwater the rnc and george bush should just become president. the republican party had power in the house of representatives. he said we have to start working with redistricting. he said we don't have the numbers to change it to the state house votes on that and he said let's see if we can get the black conference to vote on it. if they bar owner plan we will give them the majority black districts and we won't run anybody in these districts. they brought to the bl

barnett all those southern governors all those southern centers only one switch and that was strong thurmond only one. the rest of them stayed democrats forever and black people voted for them so when i started asking the question, why did this happen? it goes back to stockholm syndrome. it goes back to a cognitive dissonance. it makes perfect sense. you've been oppressed. you've been beaten down for 400 years. of course, you're gonna take on the characteristics of your master plus if they had just been paying paying attention to the civil rights movement. we were fighting bleeding dying getting shot by water hoses and been by dogs. either hamburger beside them to go to the bathroom beside them to drink from a water fountain beside them to go to school besides them. of course when it came to vote. we were going to vote with him. makes perfect sense why are? blacks so skeptical about the republican party armstrong back in 1992 good friend of yours lee atwater with over the rnc george bush had just become president. he's looking at the map. and we and the the republican party hadn't h