Whatever Happened to Randolph Scott?: This Date in History

  • Thread starter Thread starter donbosco
  • Start date Start date
  • Replies: 1K
  • Views: 317K
  • Off-Topic 
They’ve been doing so since at least 1968. Going on 58+ years.
Link: Jim Gardner (politician) - Wikipedia

Jim Gardner was the first Republican politician I was aware of who ran on the hard-right, racist platform that has become emblematic of today's GOP. I had an uncle who was from Connecticut, was a dyed in the wool Republican, and moved to Wilmington. It troubled him greatly to see the NC Republican Party transition from a pro-business group looking to advance North Carolina through better jobs, beyond farming and textiles, into the bastion of racism and prejudice that it morphed into from the late 1960's to the early 1980's, and remains as such today.
 
Link: Jim Gardner (politician) - Wikipedia

Jim Gardner was the first Republican politician I was aware of who ran on the hard-right, racist platform that has become emblematic of today's GOP. I had an uncle who was from Connecticut, was a dyed in the wool Republican, and moved to Wilmington. It troubled him greatly to see the NC Republican Party transition from a pro-business group looking to advance North Carolina through better jobs, beyond farming and textiles, into the bastion of racism and prejudice that it morphed into from the late 1960's to the early 1980's, and remains as such today.
Did he move to NC before or after Jesse Helms first ran in 1972?
 
Did he move to NC before or after Jesse Helms first ran in 1972?
Before. He assumed Jesse was some sort of joke/protest candidate based on Jesse's "editorials" on the Tobacco Radio Network & WRAL-TV. Ever hear the story of how Jesse got his stake in WRAL? When Jesse was an administrative aide to Sen. Willis Smith, Jesse used his influence to pressure the FCC to grant a TV broadcast license to the WRAL radio station instead of WPTF. In exchange for this legislative courtesy, Jesse was "given" a significant chunk of stock in WRAL and the ability to spew his poison from the public airways. Wiilis Smith was the candidate who defeated Frank Porter Graham largely by screaming the "N" word in every speech.
 
Before. He assumed Jesse was some sort of joke/protest candidate based on on Jesse's "editorials" on the Tobacco Radio Network & WRAL-TV. Ever hear the story of how Jesse got his stake in WRAL? When Jesse was an administrative aide to Sen. Willis Smith, Jesse used his influence to pressure the FCC to grant a TV broadcast license to the WRAL radio station instead of WPTF. In exchange for this legislative courtesy, Jesse was "given" a significant chunk of stock in WRAL and the ability to spew his poison from the public airways. Wiilis Smith was the candidate who defeated Frank Porter Graham largely by screaming the "N" word in every speech.
And, Jesse and Tom Ellis doctored up a photo to show Mrs. Frank Porter Graham dancing with a black man.

Wonderful men. Right-wing bigoted Democrats who became right-wing bigoted Republicans after the Civil Rights Act became law.
 
Back
Top