--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Reagan Democrats increasingly extended…" description: "\"“Reagan Democrats increasingly extended their antipathy from nonwhites to government as a whole. “These white Democratic defectors express a profound d..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/930/ian-haney-l-pez-25230_democracy_reagan-democrats-increasingly-extended-t_614157.jpg" --- # Reagan Democrats increasingly extended their antipathy… ![“Reagan Democrats increasingly extended their antipathy from nonwhites to government as a whole. “These white Democratic defectors express a profound distaste for blacks, a sentiment that pervades almost everything they think about government and politics. These sentiments have important…” quote by Ian Haney López](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/930/ian-haney-l-pez-25230_democracy_reagan-democrats-increasingly-extended-t_614157.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/930/ian-haney-l-pez-25230_democracy_reagan-democrats-increasingly-extended-t_614157.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/930/ian-haney-l-pez-25230_democracy_reagan-democrats-increasingly-extended-t_614157.jpg) > ““Reagan Democrats increasingly extended their antipathy from nonwhites to government as a whole. “These white Democratic defectors express a profound distaste for blacks, a sentiment that pervades almost everything they think about government and politics. These sentiments have important implications for Democrats, as virtually all progressive symbols and themes have been redefined in racial and pejorative terms.”57 This last insight, that for Democratic defectors “virtually all progressive symbols and themes have been redefined in racial and pejorative terms,” goes to the root of how dog whistle racism wrecks the middle class. Progressive politics in general—not liberal politics only as applied to nonwhites—was”” [Ian Haney López](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-haney-l-pez/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Describes how some white voters have shifted from Democratic to Republican, redefining progressive ideas with racial overtones, undermining class solidarity. **In simple terms:** White voters turning against Democrats, linking progressivism to race. Key Takeaway Recognize and challenge racial framing in politics. Themes politics race class media identity Mood critical analytical Type political sociological When to use this quote - campaign messaging - voter outreach - policy framing - media analysis Key Concepts dog whistle racism political realignment symbolic politics Questions to Reflect On - How do racial narratives affect class solidarity? - What strategies can counteract dog‑whistle politics? A Different Perspective Racial framing can oversimplify complex economic issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Antipathy Nonwhites](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/antipathy-nonwhites-4982372/) [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Democratic Defectors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democratic-defectors-4982370/) [Middle class](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/middle-class/) [Nonwhites Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nonwhites-government-4982373/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Racial Pejorative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racial-pejorative-4982374/) [White Democratic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/white-democratic-4982371/) ## Related quotes > [“The Tea Party that reenergized the GOP in 2010 and that implacably attacked Obama turned out to be a familiar nemesis of liberalism and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-haney-l-pez/the-tea-party-that-reenergized-the-gop-in-2010-and-that-implacably/) [Ian Haney López](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-haney-l-pez/) > [When in one area of the world the standard of living and the size of the middle class increases, it is going to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-lagarde/when-in-one-area-of-the-world-the-standard-of-living-and-the-size-of/) [Christine Lagarde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-lagarde/) > [My father was in real estate, banking, and land management. 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Forster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-m-forster-2/) > [If you read the 'Daily Mail,' you would imagine that the British middle classes lead lives of unremitting misery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-hoggart/if-you-read-the-daily-mail-you-would-imagine-that-the-british-middle/) [Simon Hoggart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-hoggart/) > [The Democrats have been there for working people in our country. That's who we are, trickle-down vs. middle-class economics. That's the major difference between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pelosi/the-democrats-have-been-there-for-working-people-in-our-country-that/) [Nancy Pelosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pelosi/) > [Aristocratic depression has this cosmic dimension to it, where it's asking these big questions about, "Why?" "What is the purpose of all this?" Neuroses…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-douglas/aristocratic-depression-has-this-cosmic-dimension-to-it-where-it-s/) [Lawrence Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-douglas/) > [We are not going back to the failed policies of the past. We are fighting for the middle class!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pelosi/we-are-not-going-back-to-the-failed-policies-of-the-past-we-are/) [Nancy Pelosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pelosi/) > [But I don't think the Democratic Party is at eye level with the middle class.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/but-i-don-t-think-the-democratic-party-is-at-eye-level-with-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I grew up in the middle class.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-scaramucci/i-grew-up-in-the-middle-class/) [Anthony Scaramucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-scaramucci/) ## More by Ian Haney López > [“Alabama in 1927 alone, 27,701 men were arrested on misdemeanor charges and offered for sale by county sheriffs. 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The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-haney-l-pez/in-1963-robert-novak-had-written-that-many-republican-leaders-were/) [Ian Haney López](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-haney-l-pez/) > [“Even so, unlike most in society, these politicians thought long and deep about how to turn race to their advantage. We’ve previously defined strategic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-haney-l-pez/even-so-unlike-most-in-society-these-politicians-thought-long-and/) [Ian Haney López](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-haney-l-pez/) [Explore all 23 Ian Haney López quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-haney-l-pez/) ## More Democracy quotes > [Elections belong to the people. It's their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/elections-belong-to-the-people-it-s-their-decision-if-they-decide-to/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [If the members of parliament no longer consider themselves mandatories of the taxpayers but deputies of those receiving salaries, wages, subsidies, doles, and other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/if-the-members-of-parliament-no-longer-consider-themselves/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [For not only every democracy, but certainly every republic, bears within itself the seeds of its own destruction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/for-not-only-every-democracy-but-certainly-every-republic-bears/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [There is plenty of time for Republicans to have a Macaca moment. 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Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [There are certain things you must not say in spite of the fact that supposedly democracy means free speech. 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These sentiments have important implications for Democrats, as virtually all progressive symbols and themes have been redefined in racial and pejorative terms.”57 This last insight, that for Democratic defectors “virtually all progressive symbols and themes have been redefined in racial and pejorative terms,” goes to the root of how dog whistle racism wrecks the middle class. 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