The Former Confederacy & Modern American Politics, Part Ten

"Watergate" changed the political dynamic of the country, as any momentum gained by Nixon from his overwhelming reelection victory of 1972 was lost, and two senators from the former Confederacy became household names: Democratic Senator Sam Ervin, of North Carolina, the head of the Senate committee investigating Watergate, along with the top Republican member of the committee, Senator Howard Baker of Tennessee, who asked the biggest question of the investigation, "What did the President know and when did he know it?"

Gerald Ford, who had replaced Spiro Agnew as vice president at the suggestion of Democratic Speaker of the House Carl Albert, became president when Nixon resigned. Just a couple of weeks later, Ford issued a highly controversial full pardon to Nixon for any crimes he "might" have committed as president. Remember, at that point, no criminal charges had been brought against Nixon; thus, the use of the word "might."

The 1974 midterm election took place just a couple of months after Richard Nixon's resignation and pardon. Democrats gained a Senate seat in Florida, while the party affiliation of other senators from former Confederate states remained the same. Nationally in the House of Representatives, Democrats made big gains, and states with party affiliation changes to their delegations in the former Confederate states: Republicans gained a seat in Florida, making the delegation 10 Democrats and 5 Republicans; in Georgia, Democrats won the lone Republican seat, giving them all 10 seats; in Louisiana Republicans won a seat, making the delegation 6 Democrats and 2 Republicans; in North Carolina the Democrats won two additional seats, making the delegation 9 Democrats and 2 Republicans; in South Carolina Democrats won one seat, making the delegation 5 Democrats and 1 Republican; in Tennessee Democrats won 2 seats, making the delegation 5 Democrats and 3 Republicans; in Texas Democrats won 1 seat, making the delegation 21 Democrats and 3 Republicans;* in Virginia Democrats won 2 seats, making the delegation 5 Democrats and 5 Republicans. In South Carolina, Republicans won the governorship for the first time since Reconstruction. In Tennessee, Democrats retook the governorship. The election for Virginia governor was held in November 1973 and Republicans retained that governorship.       

* President Ford appointed a Democratic congressman from Texas to a federal position in 1976 and the special election to fill the seat in the spring of 1976 was won by a Republican, Ron Paul, who ran for president in more recent times. He is the father of current Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky.

WORD HISTORY:
Rampant- This word, related to "rumple," goes back to Indo European "(s)ker," which had the notion, "to bend, to curve, to move in a crooked, irregular or circular motion." This then produced, "(s)kremph," with the same general meaning. This gave Old Germanic "hrempanan," which meant, "to shrivel, to be or become wrinkled." This gave Frankish, an old Germanic dialect, "hrampon," with the "shrivel, contract" meaning. This passed into Old French^ as "ramper," meaning, "to climb a hill or inclined area," from the notion of "crouching to climb an incline." The present participle form of the Old French verb, "rampant," came to be used adjectivally to mean, "(animal, usually a lion) standing in a tilted (inclined) position;" that is, "standing on hind legs;" thus also, by extension, "fierce, ferocious." Borrowed into English in the 1380s.