Montana Republicans Warmly Embrace a White Nationalist’s Legislative Candidacy |
One of many examples of White Nationalism moving from the fringe to the mainstream through the Republican party:
The nice clean cut boy from a small town in Montana, winning the support of the local and state Republican party, yet
“[w]hat many voters may not realize, however, is Taylor’s long history of deep involvement with the white nationalist movement, and the dangerously bigoted worldview he has promoted since his teenage years –– a history well documented by the SPLC and the Anti-Defamation League in the years leading up to his campaign.”
“[T]he GOP’s embrace of Rose is taking place in the broader context of a national Republican party that has nominated Donald Trump, whose own alliances with the radical right have radically altered the nation’s political landscape.”
“The political environment has clearly shifted when there is mainstream party acceptance and grooming of someone with well-documented white supremacist activity in recent years.””
Here he is the fresh face of the new extreme Right. Not grandpa’s hood-wearing KKK, but the rebranded white supremacy known as Alt-Right. He worked “[…] on behalf of the white nationalist Youth for Western Civilization […], appear[ing] at a YWC-sponsored “March for Freedom” in Cologne, Germany. He also met with members of Vlaams Belang, the far-right Belgian political party, and members of German organizations designated by authorities there as “right-wing extremist.””
“Rose also authored a book in 2012 titled Return of the Right: How the Political Right Is Taking Back Western Civilization. […]The neo-Confederate hate group the League of the South interviewed Rose about the book when it came out. During the interview, Rose continued to warn of the evil nature of “the Left” and predicted that a white nationalist Right would soon rise to the fore in global politics”
Recently, “Taylor […] discuss[ed] his candidacy with a “Montana Sovereign” banner proudly displayed behind him – referencing his apparent involvement in the far-right sovereign citizens movement as well.”
“In a recent interview in the Flathead Beacon, Rose denied that he was a racial supremacist and focused on defending the traditional cultural values of Western Civilization, [words that are] often used with other code words such as “cultural identity” and “racial chauvinists” to disguise […] racism, arguing that white people face rampant discrimination at the hands of multiculturalism.”
“[A]ccording to Rose, the national debate ‘could change from amnesty to deportation and from multiculturalism to nationalism.’”
“He’s a member of a Facebook public group called Monarchists, which “exists for the purpose of civil discussion between monarchists and those interested in monarchy as the ideal form of human governance.””
“Rose also conducted an interview in April with the “Patriot” movement website NorthWest Liberty News’ weekly podcast (though the link for that interview appears to be broken).
“Rivas said that Rose’s embrace by the GOP represents an unfortunate evolutionary shift in the state’s politics, in which such extremists, always present in the background, had typically been relegated to the fringe.”
““In previous years, the Montana Republican Party distanced themselves from candidates like Rose who had ties groups like the Klan and National Socialist Movement,” she said. “The times have changed. The efforts by the Alt-Right to put a nice suit on their racism may be viewed as effective in this case. And, while Rose’s views seems aligned with the Richard Spencers of the world, his vision isn’t so different than April Gaede’s Pioneer Little Europe.”
No longer with the hater in chief still on the GOP ballot.