Ricky L. Jones

Opinion contributor

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was a little upset recently at news that one of his GOP brothers attacked him for betraying the white race. Courier Journal reporter Phillip Bailey unearthed an interview in which Kentucky Republican House of Representatives candidate Everett Corley lamented that McConnell’s marriage to Elaine Chao, a woman of Asian descent, is problematic. “White people should maintain our people and our culture as much as anyone else,” Corley said. Los Angeles-based white supremacist William Johnson agreed, “(McConnell) is taking a stand that will destroy the white race.” He bellowed, "You must vote for anybody (even a black person) but a white man who is interracially married."

McConnell’s saving grace according to Corley? He and Chao don’t have children.

Related:McConnell rips 'racist behavior' of Kentucky Republican candidate

McConnell indignantly responded, “This racist behavior is completely despicable. Such backwards views and hateful rhetoric must be given no corner in the Republican Party or anywhere in America. I’m not at all surprised that the state party is not affiliated with or in any way supporting this individual.” Clearly, the senator was incensed. But, did he have a right to be? McConnell and the GOP have a bit of a problem disconnecting from Corley, because Corley is not an anomaly. Corley, who loves Confederate statues, uniforms and flags, is a living and breathing example of a more and more frequently encountered modern Republican. And yes, he has support. He actually won Kentucky’s 43rd District Republican primary.



I know what you’re thinking. This proves nothing about the GOP. This is in Kentucky. Kentucky is that crazy place where people once made up a story about a religious fanatic county clerk (who has been married four times) choosing to go to jail rather than grant marriage licenses to devilish gay couples. There was even a rally for her when she rolled out of the hoosegow. Her husband stepped on stage sporting bluejean overalls and a straw hat. They both raised their arms in victory with then-presidential candidate crazy Mike Huckabee as Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger” blared over loudspeakers. Well, actually – that story wasn’t made up. It’s true.

Once you stop laughing and casting aspersions on backwoods kooks, read on and wrap your head around that fact that the GOP’s bigotry issues extend far beyond the hinterlands of Kentucky.

Read this:Kentucky GOP candidate ripped minorities on a white nationalist show

Out East, when Corey Stewart won Virginia’s Republican Senate primary in August, President Trump quickly tweeted congratulations, “Don’t underestimate Corey, a major chance of winning!” The problem here? Like Everett Corley, Corey Stewart is a dyed-in-the-wool Confederate. Stewart has opined, “(the Confederate flag) is our heritage, it’s what makes us Virginia, and if you take that away, we lose our identity.”

In the Midwest, Arthur Jones, an admitted member of the American Nazi Party and Holocaust denier, won Illinois’ 3rd District congressional primary as a Republican. Jones openly argues, “the idea that six million Jews were killed by the National Socialist government of Germany in World War II is the biggest, blackest lie in history.” Other (successful and failed) Republican candidates such as these can be found in North Carolina, California, Wisconsin, Washington state and other places across the country.

Leader McConnell rails that people such as these are “despicable” and have no place in the Republican Party. Really? In actuality, the GOP has given aid and comfort to such monsters for decades. From Lee Atwater to Jeff Sessions to Donald Trump and many others, it is a party rooted in long-standing race-based “Southern Strategy” tactics, voter suppression, anti-affirmative action, anti-civil rights, anti-busing, anti-immigrant and white ethno-state agendas.

Despite obvious offenses and 19th-century sensibilities, people still incessantly claim, “All Republicans aren’t racist. The GOP isn’t racist.” That may be so, but questions are begged. Why are so many bigots and supremacists flocking to the Republican Party? It is so bad that continued affiliation with the GOP is becoming a litmus test in 21st-century America. If you aren’t supportive of the nasty bile oozing out of the elephant riders, how can you continue to claim them as your party?

See also:Sure, Everett Corley is a racist, but so are a lot of GOP policies

To be sure, Mitch McConnell has bigger problems than Everett Corley right now. He and his crew are busy trying to ram another possible bad actor, Brett Kavanaugh, onto the U.S. Supreme Court. After all, maybe Kavanaugh just “grabbed” a woman many, many years ago. The GOP is cool with that, right? When the majority leader works his way back around to it, he’ll have to admit that he doesn’t have a right to be angry with Corley. Good ol’ boy Everett is just parroting the ideology that has driven the GOP for some time now. He and those like him are just more honest and less sophisticated in their presentations. McConnell and other Republicans see Everett Corley, Arthur Jones, Corey Stewart and their enablers every day . . . in the mirror.

By the way, don’t mistake this for an endorsement of most Democrats. We’ll deal with their mess another time.

Dr. Ricky L. Jones is chair of Pan-African Studies at the University of Louisville and host of the iHeart Media’s “Ricky Jones Show with 12 Mr. FTC.” His next book, co-authored with Marc Murphy, is entitled, “Colin, Confederatesand Con-Artists.” Visit him at rickyljones.com. His column appears every third Thursday in the Courier Journal.