Well I am not going to belabor the point..
I agree fully the you would never see a republican anywhere near the KKK back in the day and all the way up to perhaps the mid to late 60s..
After that the South, largely all Roosevelt democrats at the time, began to shift to the republican party. These same republicans some who were once democrats, were often seen with the KKK. It was a matter of shifting political forces and not that republicans were racists.
As the democrats moved left, even Ronald Reagan left the party but in the south it was more dramatic.
You cannot deny that today, the KKK and republicans share some of the same rhetoric (not regarding race or jews) but more generally speaking small l, libertine and smaller government values.
It fact, most remaining Roosevelt democrats today have no real connection at all to the new democrat party yet they continue to vote for them.
That’s the point I was making...
I was not trying to associate republicans with racism. Those that are racists in the south today, and there are not many left, may vote republican yet do not share the same mindset, just as the old Roosevelt dems still vote democrat.
Politically, the south drives me nuts trying to predict voting patterns. Many conservative voters who receive state or federal aid, often support democrat presidents. (pocketbook self interest voting)
You just cannot pigeon hole people in the south.
Well Duh!
The Klan was established to keep blacks from voting for Republicans. Now they have the NAACP. (which was originated by Republicans, but co-opted and destroyed by the black socialists.