It is probably a bit more complicated than the GOP would have us believe. But according to this article, he turned his back on them when the Southern Strategy was politically fashionable. The Republicans just should own up to the Southern Strategy instead of being apologist for it. When the GOP renounces the Southern Strategy once and for all and stop acting like the [Don't wanna] "Know-Nothing Party", they might--might is the key word--have an audience. They were on the wrong side of history on many issues in the 1960's 'til the present.

The 1960's GOP and today's GOP isn't my great great grandfather's GOP by far.