On Ronald Reagans Racism A Single Mistake Does Not A Racist Make.

(American Spectator) Theres a provocative article by NYU professor Tim Naftali in the Atlantic titled Ronald Reagans Long-Hidden Racist Conversation With Richard Nixon." It reports an insulting statement made by Gov. Ronald Reagan to President Richard Nixon in October 1971. Naftali lays out the context and the exchange: The day after the United Nations voted to recognize the Peoples Republic of China then-California Governor Ronald Reagan phoned President Richard Nixon at the White House and vented his frustration at the delegates who had sided against the United States. Last night I tell you to watch that thing on television as I did" Reagan said. Yeah" Nixon interjected. Reagan forged ahead with his complaint: To see those those monkeys from those African countries damn them theyre still uncomfortable wearing shoes!" Nixon gave a huge laugh. The statement is bad. No question. As you can imagine its getting a lot of traction among race-obsessed liberals who discern white-hooded dog whistles" in endless remarks from Republicans but cant find space within their mental-ideological makeup to even mention something as shameful as oh Margaret Sangers May 1926 speech to the Silverlake New Jersey womens chapter of the KKK or any number of racially offensive zingers from a President like Lyndon Johnson or Woodrow Wilson. Their hypocrisy never ceases to outrage. Make no mistake: They will never let Ronald Reagan escape this one. This line will be hoisted on a progressive petard as an eternal symbol of his views on race. Liberals will apply it unforgivingly and uncharitably in a manner theyd never do with their Democrat pals. That said as a Reagan biographer and historian one who has published eight books and countless articles on the man Ive been asked to respond. What to make of this? How to interpret it? To begin with I personally cannot defend that statement. It needs to be condemned certainly as written. Its very important to know however that Ronald Reagan was not a racist. This is the only and I mean only statement that Ive ever read from him like this (and Ive read just about everything).