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How was this significant momentum lost? The answer is

inextricably interwoven into what has proven to the
political transformation of the century. Let us consider
the “who, what, how, and why’s” that brought about

this transformation.

The great GOP “flubs” and "sleeping blunders" – To
understand the role that “race” plays in today’s political
power struggles, one must first understand how the
GOP committed strategic mistakes that eventually led
the overwhelming majority of black voters to favor the
Democratic Party. These mistakes can only be described

as “flubs and sleeping blunders” in public relations.

The first serious blunder is now known as the
“Compromise of 1877”. As Jim Crowe Democrats had
seized power in all southern states except Florida,
Louisiana and South Carolina, the Presidential election
of 1876 was extremely close and bitterly contested.

Republicans were refusing to accept defeat. They
accused Southern Democrats and their KKK allies of
intimidating blacks in the south to prevent them from
voting.

To resolve this dispute, Congress set up an electoral

commission in January 1877. During this commission’s
deliberations, small contingent of GOP power brokers
secretly met with Southern Democrats. To seal their
victory, they forged a deal that would guarantee the
election win for the Republican candidate, Rutherford B.
Hayes. Democrats agreed to accept a Hayes victory and

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