a former CIA operative who later became director just died...the same guy was VP when HIV/AIDS was introduced and did not care about the crisis because it affected gay people...the same guy who started his political career by running AGAINST the 64 civil rights act and then won his presidency via the Willie Horton ad
but Trump is the first president to fully active the racism potential in whites across the country
1. cia director - doesnt matter
2. hiv/aids - doesnt matter
3. the civil rights act statement - in TEXAS
4. willie horton ad - definitely was a racist dog whistle, but the difference is that you didn't then have bush out there unabashedly using racist/white nationalist talking points, nominating outright white supremacists as advisors/high level officials, playing footsie with other racists both here and abroad etc..
look i'm not saying that before trump the GOP etc never used racial appeals etc, that would be just stupid. my point is that he was the first modern gop candidate who openly made white nationalism/white supremacy the fundamental platform of his candidacy, to the point where the electorate followed his lead (again OPENLY)....if you don't recognize the trump presidency as qualitatively different than previous elections when it comes to how race was used, then we're just gonna have to agree to disagree
d