Neo-Nazis, white supremacists and the 'Grand Old Party'

Leigh Washburn | Guest Columnist

Is Donald Trump a racist, misogynistic, xenophobic bigot; a small-minded narcissistic sociopath; a terminally stupid blow-hard; a brilliant tactician and manipulator? Maybe a little bit of all?

Let’s stipulate that he’s not, deep down, consciously bigoted, but rather truly incapable of empathy and motivated solely by self-gratification. The only way he knows how to succeed is to divide and conquer, and xenophobia and anti-immigrant mania are proving useful. Hispanics are especially convenient targets. No evidence is needed, just the mental image of them as “other,” frightening, dangerous. This, in turn, has had frightening and very damaging consequences to the once “grand” GOP.

Democrats know that not all Republicans are racists. But we are puzzled that so many are complicit in, or at least unwilling to condemn, the takeover of their party by those who are. Accusations of racism first lead to outrage, then to rationalizations and reminders about the health of the economy. Seemingly racist rants are nothing of the kind, only idiosyncrasies that we must tolerate. Even bad guys do good things. The ends justify the means.

Florida gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum could have been talking about Donald Trump when he said of his opponent, “I’m not calling (him) a racist. I’m simply saying the racists believe he’s a racist” (USA Today).

Paul Waldman expands on this: “But you know who doesn’t have to worry about getting endorsed by neo-Nazis, white nationalists and racists? People who don’t give neo-Nazis, white nationals, and racists any reason to believe that they share their views” (Washington Post). Republican rationalizations and denials ring hollow in light of this.

A record number of self-described white supremacists and neo-Nazis ran for office this year under the Republican banner, to the chagrin of many party leaders and conservative pundits. Several won primaries, and some won re-election to federal or state offices.

Here are a few of them:

Rep. Steve King, who has served in Congress since 2003, was narrowly re-elected in Iowa. For him, civilization has been built largely by white European Christians (nevermind the highly sophisticated pre-Columbian American, Chinese, Indian, and Middle Eastern cultures that thrived while Europe wallowed in the Dark Ages). Immigrants’ children will detrimentally redefine our culture. Hispanic are “dirt.” He has ties to the far-right Austrian Freedom Party (The Guardian). His constituents love him, and Republican Party officials, except possibly Gov. Kim Reynolds, who recently called him out, at least tolerate him.

Arthur Jones from Chicago, an unapologetic former leader of the American Nazi Party whose website is littered with anti-Semitic rants, ran unopposed in the Republican primary for a congressional seat but lost the midterm (The Guardian). Ted Cruz said even a Democrat would be preferable to Jones (Vox).

Another self-described white nationalist, Paul Nehlen, who enjoyed early support from Steve Bannon, lost the Wisconsin election for Paul Ryan’s seat. He’s considered too racist even for Gab (Vox)!

North Carolina State House candidate Russell Walker won a low-turn-out Republican primary but lost the midterm. His views? “Jews are the children of Satan.” “What is wrong with being a white supremacist?” Barack Obama is “genetically inferior.” Interracial couples are “race traitors.”

Corey Stewart lost the race for Virginia governor to Tim Kaine. He associates with Charlottesville protest organizer and white supremacist Jason Kessler. His nomination prompted the resignation of Virginia’s Republican state chairman.

That most lost isn’t the point. That they felt free to run on their beliefs and were widely supported is.

Negative campaign ads sky-rocketed this year over 2016 (USA Today). Many were overtly racist. Robocalls in Florida mocked Andrew Gillum with minstrel language and jungle music. An Oprah impersonator in Georgia described Stacey Adams as “a poor man’s Aunt Jemima.” In New York, a candidate who is African-American and a Rhodes Scholar was called a “big-city rapper.” A candidate in California’s 50th Congressional District ran ads trying to tie his opponent, who has Palestinian-Mexican heritage, to radical Muslims, suggesting he was a “national security risk” and trying to “infiltrate Congress.”

More on Trump’s role in this and problems in Utah next month.

Leigh Washburn writes for the Iron County Democrats.