How Racist Was Ronald Reagan?

1. 81

   crankaliciousposted 5 years ago

   Why is it so many of our Presidents are racists?
   
   Clearly, Richard Nixon was, at least, more obviously and outwardly racist than Ronald Regan, but clearly, Reagan also felt it was okay to denigrate non-whites, as his conversation with Nixon shows.
   
   https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archi … on/595102/
   
   I never thought of Reagan as a racist prior to seeing this article and hearing this conversation, but clearly, he has some deep-seated opinions. That's not to say he's much different in that respect from other Presidents.

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   1. 81

      Credence2posted 5 years agoin reply to this

      Unfortunately, racism is seen as one of the many linchpins of today's conservatism. I am sure that Lyndon Johnson has makes such remarks during his tenure. Nixon and Johnson still operated within the relative mainstream of political thought and action during their tenure.
      
      Ronald Reagan was a sharp departure from the trend. He was behind much of the reactionary response to Leftwing oriented activity of Black militants and Berkeley new-left protests in California during the 1960s, while governor. He changed the conversation from race to socio-economic issues, just another code word that was much more politically palatable.
      
      Just like the atmosphere, race related denigration has too often enveloped everything and since you can't grab a handful of air, that attitude and its existence is always plausibly deniable.

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      1. 81

         crankaliciousposted 5 years agoin reply to this

         This is certainly not a Democrat vs. Republican thing. Lyndon Johnson also harbored a lot of racist views and said a lot of racist things. No debate there.

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         1. 76

            jackclee lmposted 5 years agoin reply to this

            you cannot use 2020 eyes to judge people back in the 1960s, or 1980s...
            just like the # metoo movement. Sexual attitudes have changed and what may have been accepted behavior then is no longer now..,which is a good thing, however you can't apply same standards.

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            1. 81

               crankaliciousposted 5 years agoin reply to this

               Well, there's some truth to that, even though it doesn't address the issue as it applies to Reagan.
               
               Calling a black person a ni**er in 1960 was racist then and it's racist now, so some racism is consistent. Leading the Jews into the gas chamber in 1940s Germany was racist then and would be racist now.
               
               Go read the article and listen to the tape. Reagan held some racist views. They were racist then and they're racist now.

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   2. 94

      MizBejabbersposted 5 years agoin reply to this

      After knowing President Bill Clinton when he was Governor of Arkansas and I was a reporter, I can honestly say that he was not a racist. I believe his humble upbringing and the fact that his mother was a nurse had something to do with that.

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   3. 76

      jackclee lmposted 5 years agoin reply to this

      This is a total lie. Reagan was never a racist or a homophobe...
      Reagan was a Democrat before converting to the Republican party. He was a popular Governor in CA, the President of the SAG and a spokesperson for GE...if he was a racist, how could he have survived and thrived in those arena? use you head and don't fall for the miss information. On his second term, he was re-elected by a 49-1 state majority. Does that seem like a racist to you?

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      1. 81

         crankaliciousposted 5 years agoin reply to this

         I don't think you understand the meaning of the word "lie". Where's the lie?
         
         Somebody getting elected has ZERO to do with the person being a racist. None of the things you mention is related in any way to the point being made or the ACTUAL recording of Reagan being racist. Your argument is a complete non-sequitur. Did you even read the article or listen to the recording from the Nixon archive?
         
         Was Nixon a racist? He got elected.

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2. 0

   PrettyPantherposted 5 years ago

   Wow. That's awful. All I can say is that, even today, most people are racist to some degree. However, my hope is that we the people will never again elect an openly racist president.

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   1. 76

      jackclee lmposted 5 years agoin reply to this

      Another myth. Prove that most people are racist...you can't.

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      1. 0

         PrettyPantherposted 5 years agoin reply to this

         No, I can't  prove it.
         
         Have you ever measured your own biases?
         
         https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/takeatest.html

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         1. 81

            crankaliciousposted 5 years agoin reply to this

            If all people are racist to a degree, then to what degree should we give Reagan a pass?

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   2. 81

      crankaliciousposted 5 years agoin reply to this

      I think it's pretty clear Reagan was not openly racist, but he clearly harbored some racist ideas.

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      1. 0

         PrettyPantherposted 5 years agoin reply to this

         Yes, I don't remember him being openly racist. The current POTUS, however,....maybe a better term is "overtly" racist.

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