During Friday’s CNN Newsroom host Victor Blackwell welcomed political analyst and historian Julian Zelizer on to hype CNN’s upcoming four-part documentary on President Lyndon B. Johnson. As part of the preview, both Blackwell and Zelizer postulated that LBJ was correct in asserting that passing civil rights legislation in the ‘60s paved the way for Republican dominance in the South.
In reference to the Voting Rights Act, Blackwell wondered: “We've certainly talked a lot about that over the last couple of years not only because of action in the Supreme Court but also inaction in Congress as well. I mean, I wonder, this is always an odd question to ask, but you know Johnson very well, what would he make of—of-- voting rights in—in-- 2022?”
Zelizer declared that “[h]e would be deeply dispirited about what’s happening" because "[t]his is the president who said, when he pushed for the Voting Rights Act of 1965, 'every American citizen must have the right to vote.'" He also suggested Johnson "would be very disappointed if the Supreme Court undercut that legislation in 2013 and that in many states, more restrictions are being put on the vote instead of voting being eased.”
He then compared today’s GOP-sponsored election bills to the Jim Crow laws of the past, which is false and played out. “This is someone who saw the Jim Crow laws of the South firsthand and understands that the right to vote is fragile and the opposition to voting is often very intense in this country,” he proclaimed.
Blackwell then wondered if the two were connected: "When he got the Civil Rights Act passed, LBJ said something supposedly like “I fear we've just delivered the south to the Republican Party for a generation.” Do you think he was right about that legislation specifically? And—and-- we're seeing maybe some—some-- fallout 60 years later?”
“Well, he's right," Zelizer agreed. "I mean, the South went from Democratic territory to Republican territory, and the opposition to civil rights was big a part of the story right through this day."
Adding: "But I think the lesson isn’t that Johnson shouldn't have done that. It’s the opposite. When advisors told Johnson to be practical, to be careful, he famously said, ‘what the hell is the presidency for?’ and he used it, he burned his political capital for the right decision. And let's remember that black American voters have been instrumental to Democratic victories, including in 2020, so there's also been a benefit politically to what he achieved.”
Because in CNN’s world, filling out your social security number is tantamount to Jim Crow.
This segment was sponsored by Liberty Mutual.
Here is a transcript for the February 18 show:
CNN CNN Newsroom with Alisyn Camerota and Victor Blackwell
2/18/2022
3:52 PM ET
VICTOR BLACKWELL: The Voting Rights Act. We've certainly talked a lot about that over the last couple of years not only because of action in the Supreme Court, but also inaction in Congress as well. I mean, I wonder, this is always an odd question to ask, but you know Johnson very well, what would he make of—of-- voting rights in—in-- 2022?
JULIAN ZELIZER: He would be deeply dispirited about what’s happening. This is the president who said, when he pushed for the Voting Rights Act of 1965, “every American citizen must have the right to vote.” And he would be very disappointed if the Supreme Court undercut that legislation in 2013 and that in many states, more restrictions are being put on the vote instead of voting being eased. This is someone who saw the Jim Crow laws of the South firsthand and understands that the right to vote is fragile and the opposition to voting is often very intense in this country.
BLACKWELL: When he got the Civil Rights Act passed, LBJ said something supposedly like “I fear we've just delivered the south to the Republican Party for a generation.” Do you think he was right about that legislation specifically? And—and-- we're seeing maybe some—some-- fallout 60 years later?
ZELIZER: Well, he's right. I mean, the South went from Democratic territory to Republican territory, and the opposition to civil rights was big a part of the story right through this day. But I think the lesson isn’t that Johnson shouldn't have done that. It’s the opposite. When advisors told Johnson to be practical, to be careful, he famously said, “what the hell is the presidency for?” and he used it, he burned his political capital for the right decision. And let's remember that black American voters have been instrumental to Democratic victories, including in 2020, so there's also been a benefit politically to what he achieved.
