the wikipedia article on the Civil Rights Act has voting totals by party. geography is more of a factor than party affiliation. though there were few Southern Republicans, they ALL voted against it.
Northern Democrats voted for it in greater proportion than Northern Republicans.
regardless, it doesn't excuse all the racist pandering the GOP has done since then. starting with
here. The
Southern Strategy actually goes back to Nixon and Goldwater who realized that if they really wanted middle class Americans to give up their unions, pensions, public higher education, etc. so that money could be funnelled "upward," it would take a little something more.
something... racist. The details were
helpfully explained by Reagan strategist Lee Atwater who was a real shit stain of a human being:
Questioner: But the fact is, isn't it, that Reagan does get to the Wallace voter and to the racist side of the Wallace voter by doing away with legal services, by cutting down on food stamps?
Atwater: You start out in 1954 by saying, "N-----, n-----, n-----". By 1968 you can't say "n-----"?that hurts you. Backfires. So you say stuff like forced busing, states' rights and all that stuff. You're getting so abstract now [that] you're talking about cutting taxes, and all these things you're talking about are totally economic things and a byproduct of them is [that] blacks get hurt worse than whites. And subconsciously maybe that is part of it. I'm not saying that. But I'm saying that if it is getting that abstract, and that coded, that we are doing away with the racial problem one way or the other. You follow me?because obviously sitting around saying, "We want to cut this", is much more abstract than even the busing thing, and a hell of a lot more abstract than "N-----, n-----".[11][12]
at least he was honest...
the fact that the current GOP line is that "racism isn't an issue anymore" is fucking laughable when you consider that the Civil Rights Act was only passed in 1964, and many of the assholes who's behavior necessitated it are still alive, and most of their kids and grandkids are as well, perpetuating the bigotry. and not only that, but by OPPOSING it, the GOP has not only managed to stay relevant in national, state, and local politics, but more or less dominated politically since 1980, despite pushing policies that have benefitted about 1% of the population at the expense of the many..
but, sure... that's not because of racism.