While the Thurmond campaign was ostensibly states' rights, the subtext was clearly segregation forever. For that reason alone, regardless of the manifold merits of the states' rights arguments, Thurmond's campaign was reactionary in the true sense of the word and despicable.
I especially disagree with your juxtaposing conditions today with those in the segregated south toegther with the suggestion things were better in the 'good old days'; there is a fundamental difference you ignore: the problems of segregation were deliberate and the product of ill will, whereas the most that can be said of the problems of the inner city and failing schools is that they reflect a failure of will rather than ill will. The political courage to tackle the problems of crime and poor schools headon is lacking, but those problems are not the result of anyone intentionally trying to make any Americans legally inferior.
As I stated in a previous post, the motives of some white supporters and leaders of the States Rights Party were suspect. Yet neither Goldwater or Taft, or, for that matter, Rothbard, could be accused of being segregation supporters. Don't forget that in the 1950s, William Buckley and his
National Review associates were opposed to the civil rights movement. Let's not forget that there were also white Southern liberals, such as Al Gore, Sr., and William Fulbright, that were as pro-segregation as John Stennis or Coke Stevenson. They may have suppported Harry Truman in 1948 and Adlai Stevenson in 1952 and 1956, but their public pronouncements were as pro-racial segregation as those of white Southern conservatives.
As for the difference between ill will and a failure of will, I would submit that a victim of either condition has been wronged. In either case, Federal governmental remedies should be applied only when Constitutionally warranted.
Of course this is coming from the people that believed that the Civil War wasn't over slavery.
the problems of the inner city and failing schools is that they reflect a failure of will rather than ill will It is not "will" that is failing in the inner city, unless it is the will of those that want a job for life. The schools and the inner city governments are full of union controlled one party socialist zombies that are about protecting their masters. You probably never lived in South Carolina either.