And it's not until 1992 that you get a Dem someone who's willing to trade on appealing to white resentment with charisma that things start to turn blue.
The reasons for that are myriad, but the lessons learned are clear ... always appeal to the worst parts of white people, but say it in a language that they don't feel embarrassed by it.
Hence, Reagan being deified by people as a standard bearer for how to appeal to this country.