The Republican Party went high, but then went low
Michelle Obama’s renowned catchphrase, “When they go low, we go high” in not relevant merely as a response to negative rhetoric. It also explains how the two American political parties have diverged over the past five decades in the basic process of elections. The legislative history of the United States features a few landmark moments which dramatically changed the nation for the better. Among them are two related laws, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which clarified that people’s rights are universal, not based on race. Both laws were resisted by filibusters by southern Democrats in the Senate but eventually passed thanks to the vote wrangling skills of President Lyndon Johnson who pushed both parties for bipartisan support of the bills. The votes by party are listed below. Reviewing the percentages today, 55 years later, may bring mixed feelings of surprise, dismay, and perhaps bitter irony. Republican support for both laws was stronger than D