let's talk about the transformation of the Republican party and how it became more ultraconservative and what led to its appeal to low information voters let's break it down back in the late 60s and early' 70s the Republican Party under Nixon wasn't as radically conservative as we see today it was more focused on economic conservatism smaller government and lower taxes but Nixon's southern strategy was a turning point this strategy was a political maneuver to appeal to White voters in the south who were unhappy with the Civil Rights Movement the Republican Party saw an opportunity to shift its Base by adopting a platform that while not overtly racist played into the anxieties and prejudices of white voters at the time over the years this opened the door to more conservative social positions meanwhile the Democratic party which had historically been conservative in the South shifted left after embracing civil rights this switch the Democrats becoming the party of Liber policies while Republicans leaned into conservatism solidified more through the Reagan and Bush ear but this is where things get even more complicated during the 1980s AIDS crisis Republicans were largely dismissive of the epidemic framing it as a moral issued tied to homosexuality Democrats particularly with figures like Bill Clinton started to shift towards a more Progressive inclusive platform focusing on Healthcare social justice and advocacy for marginalized groups this cemented The Divide between the parties on social issues so why do Republicans today appeal to low information or low IQ voters first let's be clear that not everyone in the GOP fits that description but the party has increasingly relied on emotional appeals over policy debates by focusing on cultural issues like immigration gun rights and religious values the modern Republican party Taps into the emotional responses rather than encouraging critical analysis of comp policies simplified messages work best when they're easy to digest and repeat even if they're not based in facts or nuanced thinking studies even show a correlation between educational attainment and political alignment lower education often correlates with more conservative views partly because complex issues are oversimplified and packaged into sound bites that resonate well emotionally it's a deep history but at its core the shift towards Ultra conservatism and low information appeal was a deliberate political strategy that Evol that has evolved over decades and nobody plays into it more than Donald Trump