Letter: Alt-Right’s race politics not a New Deal, but an old one
Trump’s reluctance to unequivocally condemn the alt-right’s racism is a replay of crass 1930s race politics.
In the early 20th century, lynching was common, particularly of blacks in the South. In spite of strong pressure (including from his wife), Franklin Roosevelt refused to support legislation to make lynching a federal crime. Why? Probably not because he was a racist, but because he feared losing the support of the Democratic Party in the South, support needed to push through his New Deal agenda.
At that time, Southern Democrats enjoyed virtual one-party rule in their states, and had sponsored the Jim Crow laws that fostered the KKK and the lynching culture.
Likewise, Trump is probably not a racist, but believes that a significant amount of his support comes from the alt-right, and like Roosevelt is taking the low road and withholding outright condemnation to avoid loss of support.
However, what worked for Roosevelt probably won’t work for Trump.
Independents and the many Republicans who voted for Trump because they couldn’t stand Hillary (they are the majority of his support) are disgusted with him — the conservative blogosphere is full now with condemnations of his actions in this matter.
Rick Engelmann, Richland
This story was originally published September 6, 2017 at 3:52 PM with the headline "Letter: Alt-Right’s race politics not a New Deal, but an old one."