Lee Atwater

Bush Campaign Deploys Willie Horton Ad Weaponizing Racial Fear of Black Criminals

1988-09-21 00:00:00 +0000 UTC | Importance: 9/10

The Americans for Bush arm of the National Security Political Action Committee, working with Bush campaign consultants, began running the infamous ‘Weekend Passes’ advertisement featuring William Horton, a Black prisoner who committed crimes while on furlough from a Massachusetts prison. …

George H.W. Bush Lee Atwater Roger Ailes Larry McCarthy William Horton +2 more racial-politics dog-whistle-politics political-advertising republican-party criminal-justice +1 more

Lee Atwater's Recorded Confession Explains Evolution of Racial Dog Whistle Politics

1981-11-13 00:00:00 +0000 UTC | Importance: 10/10

In a November 1981 anonymous interview with political scientist Alexander Lamis, Republican strategist Lee Atwater provided an extraordinarily candid explanation of how the GOP uses coded racial appeals. Atwater explained: ‘You start out in 1954 by saying, “Nigger, nigger, nigger.” …

Lee Atwater Alexander Lamis Republican Party racial-politics dog-whistle-politics political-strategy republican-party southern-strategy +1 more