The Gray Area with Sean Illing Today's Republicans were made in the 1990s
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Nov 7, 2022 Nicole Hemmer, a history professor at Vanderbilt University and author of "Partisans," delves into the transformation of the Republican Party in the 1990s. She discusses the significant shifts in conservative ideology from Reagan's tenure to the rise of figures like Pat Buchanan and the impact of talk radio, particularly Rush Limbaugh. Hemmer highlights how Buchanan's campaign and Limbaugh's media innovation reshaped political engagement. The conversation also touches on the party's increasing embrace of extremism and the implications for American democracy.
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The 1990s Shift
- The Republican Party's shift in the 1990s wasn't a sudden break.
- It was a gradual evolution from Reagan's majoritarian conservatism to a more aggressive, minoritarian approach.
Post-Cold War Vacuum
- The end of the Cold War created a vacuum for conservatives.
- The Cold War's unifying principles, like anti-communism, lost relevance, leading to a broader space for right-wing politics.
Reagan's Rise
- Reagan appealed to a sense of liberal fatigue and harnessed domestic movements against feminism and desegregation.
- He positioned himself as a voice for the people rising up against the liberal order.
