Richard Spencer's website features bigoted ideas disguised as commentary. Shrill posts carry titles such as "White Alabamans were stabbed in the back!" and "Only the alt-right can save the Jews." In a video Spencer complains: "We're told being an American is about being dedicated to a collection of abstractions and buzzwords: Democracy. Freedom. Tolerance. Multi-culturalism."

Spencer, a Dallas native, is credited with coining the term alt-right. His speeches and writings represent a new breed of white supremacy that seeks to sound mainstream while adhering to the same ugliness spouted by the likes of former KKK leader David Duke. But unlike Duke, Spencer in 2017 portrayed white nationalists as victims of what he calls an "anti-white agenda," expanding his appeal to people who are fed up with a multitude of social and economic issues. His influence on national politics even drew the wrath of Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse who called Spencer a "brown-shirt-pajama-boy Nazi."

For his uncommon negative impact, Spencer, who did not respond to interview requests for this editorial, is a finalist for the 15th annual Dallas Morning News Texan of the Year. This designation is not meant as an award but as recognition of those Texans who had uncommon impact, which can be a positive or negative impact, during the past year.

"I would argue for this generation he's the most recognizable white nationalist figure," said Keegan Hankes, a researcher for the Southern Poverty Law Center. The Anti-Defamation League agrees, calling Spencer "the most recognizable public face of the alt-right."

According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, Spencer has been sickeningly strategic about making his white nationalism sound almost academic. He graduated from St. Mark's School of Texas and earned undergraduate degrees in English and music from the University of Virginia and a master's in humanities from the University of Chicago; Spencer surely knows the world of academia.

And he understands that a respectable image is important. Spencer doesn't wear garb traditionally associated with neo-Nazis or Klan members; he shows up in a jacket and button-down shirt. In an interview with Salon in 2013, Spencer said, "We have to look good." He added, "Being part of something that is crazed or ugly or vicious or just stupid, no one is going to want to be a part of it."

Spencer's pernicious influence on public opinion can be seen in the large number of speaking engagements he had this year. And when Spencer speaks, violence often follows. In August Spencer appeared at a torch march in Charlottesville, Va., where a white nationalist later killed a protester.

When Spencer announced he would give a speech at the University of Florida in October, Gov. Rick Scott declared a state of emergency and requested a larger police presence at the event. After the speech, three of Spencer's supporters were arrested for attempted homicide.

Through his silence and contentious words, President Donald Trump has left room for Spencer's opportunism. After Trump's surprise victory, Spencer's National Policy Institute sponsored a conference where he saluted the 200 in attendance and said, "Hail Trump, hail our people, hail victory!" Following the violence in Charlottesville, Spencer pointed out that Trump first criticized violence "on all sides" before mentioning white supremacists and neo-Nazis. And Spencer noted in a tweet to his 80,000 followers, "Trump has never denounced the Alt-Right. Nor will he."

Spencer is exploiting America's perception that it is deeply divided. So long as Spencer can portray whites as victims in his imagined cultural war, he will continue to have an impact.

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