The standards are set by common sense and common decency. That's why conservative writers and journalists were calling for Lott to quit the Majority Leader post days before Jackson and Sharpton even noticed the story.
My mama told me that just because other people were acting bad, it didn't mean I have the right to act bad too. The fact that the Dems are hypocrites and Jackson and Sharpton are race-baiters doesn't make Lott's remarks either less stupid or less wrong.
Besides, think about what you're saying. You're saying that Republicans can't dissociate themselves decisively from segregation-nostalgia until the Democrats stop race-baiting. So in 2022, the Republican Party will still be trying to assure the country that it's not in favor of Jim Crow, the likes of Vacant Lott will still be shooting it in the foot with cr*p like this, and people like you will be saying, "Hell, no, stand tall, we can't let Jesse Jackson, Jr. set the standards."
And those alienated swing voters will just carry President Karenna Gore Schiff right on to a second term in '24.
Now you know you lost credibility with me when you went into name calling "vacant Lott". Tells me what group you're in.