General Discussion

Mrs. Overall

(6,839 posts) Wed Jul 31, 2019, 11:04 AM Jul 2019

Reagan disparaged 'monkeys from those African countries' in call with Nixon in unearthed tapes

From The Hill: https://thehill.com/homenews/news/455482-reagan-disparaged-monkeys-from-those-african-countries-in-call-with-nixon-in

Former President Reagan in a newly unearthed tape disparaged “monkeys” from African countries during a phone call with then-President Nixon while Reagan was governor of California.

Reagan called Nixon in October 1971 — the day after a landmark United Nations vote to recognize the People’s Republic of China — and referenced how the Tanzanian delegation was dancing in the General Assembly after the vote, according to an audio clip of the exchange posted by The Atlantic.

"Last night, I tell you, to watch that thing on television as I did,” Reagan says. “Yeah,” Nixon cuts in.

Reagan replies, laughing: "To see those, those monkeys from those African countries — damn them, they're still uncomfortable wearing shoes!"

20 replies

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Reagan disparaged 'monkeys from those African countries' in call with Nixon in unearthed tapes (Original Post) Mrs. Overall Jul 2019 OP

Two evil men SHRED Jul 2019 #1

Yep, the repugs have had some duzzies over the years...Nixon, Reagan, Dole... brush Jul 2019 #7

A big NO on Eisenhower. He gave us the Dulles Brothers. retread Jul 2019 #13

Good reminder their foreign policy was still all about the domino theory. brush Jul 2019 #16

Not surprised. nt tblue37 Jul 2019 #2

Hmmm. Not surprising, but why is this coming out now? hlthe2b Jul 2019 #3

Does it serve as cover for Trump or does the tape demonstrate how horribly ingrained racism is Mrs. Overall Jul 2019 #5

why now? makes you wonder IcyPeas Aug 2019 #19

The tape was withheld for privacy reasons gratuitous Aug 2019 #20

Yes, and that was back when Reagan Grammy23 Jul 2019 #4

Don King is a Republican, and I believe a Regan supporter. I wonder his thoughts. TheBlackAdder Jul 2019 #6

I don't expect much. Don King is the African American friend Trump points out when accused of Eugene Aug 2019 #17

This is all over our local news malaise Jul 2019 #8

All those years when a lot of us said that republicans were racist Merlot Jul 2019 #9

He's a Drugstore Truck Drivin Man... blogslut Jul 2019 #10

bless their racist hearts ProfessorPlum Jul 2019 #11

K&R UTUSN Jul 2019 #12

Would the news about this call from Reagan to Nixon before Ronnie's rusty fender Jul 2019 #14

The GOP has always been like this nini Jul 2019 #15

I remember reading an account of Ronnie and Nancy kskiska Aug 2019 #18

SHRED

(28,136 posts)

1. Two evil men

Reply to Mrs. Overall (Original post)

Wed Jul 31, 2019, 11:06 AM

Jul 2019

Bottom feeders.

brush

(53,822 posts)

7. Yep, the repugs have had some duzzies over the years...Nixon, Reagan, Dole...

Reply to SHRED (Reply #1)

Wed Jul 31, 2019, 11:36 AM

Jul 2019

W and trump. The last decent Republican was Eisenhower and he'd be a Democrat today.

Here's list of Republican Party Platform in 1956:

1. Provide federal assistance to low-income communities
2.Protect Social Security
3.Provide asylum for refugees
4. Extend minimum wage
5. Improve unemployment benefits
6. Stenghten labor laws so workers can easily join unions
7. Assure equal pay for equal work regardless of sex

retread

(3,763 posts)

13. A big NO on Eisenhower. He gave us the Dulles Brothers.

Reply to brush (Reply #7)

Wed Jul 31, 2019, 02:25 PM

Jul 2019

http://www.mohammadmossadegh.com/news/dulles-brothers/

It can be credibly argued that he started the Viet Nam War. Repugs hating fair elections goes back a long way.

President Dwight Eisenhower, who had warned against the possible expansion of communism in April, obviously opposed the unifying election. He foresaw that if the election was held in 1956 possibly eighty percent of Vietnamese population would have voted for Ho Chi Minh2 and Vietnam would certainly fall to the communists. As a result, he began to instruct efforts to help Ngo Dinh Diem establish a new government in South Vietnam. In a letter sent to Diem in 19543, Eisenhower promised Diem that the United States would make a greater contribution to the stability of the government. By the end of 1955, Diem, backed by the US, had full control of Saigon and most of South Vietnam.

brush

(53,822 posts)

16. Good reminder their foreign policy was still all about the domino theory.

Reply to retread (Reply #13)

Wed Jul 31, 2019, 03:17 PM

Jul 2019

They also team with the British in a CIA-led coup which overthrew Mosaddegh in Iran then installed the Shah.

You're right, certainly shouldn't view only their domestic policy thru rose-colored glasses.

tblue37

(65,477 posts)

2. Not surprised. nt

Reply to Mrs. Overall (Original post)

Wed Jul 31, 2019, 11:06 AM

Jul 2019

hlthe2b

(102,333 posts)

3. Hmmm. Not surprising, but why is this coming out now?

Reply to Mrs. Overall (Original post)

Wed Jul 31, 2019, 11:08 AM

Jul 2019

One might wonder if someone wants to give Trump COVER for his racism among Reagan-devoted Republicans.

Mrs. Overall

(6,839 posts)

5. Does it serve as cover for Trump or does the tape demonstrate how horribly ingrained racism is

Reply to hlthe2b (Reply #3)

Wed Jul 31, 2019, 11:12 AM

Jul 2019

within the Republican party?

I would hope that Reaganites would be repulsed by this conversation, but who knows.

It is very interesting timing.

IcyPeas

(21,901 posts)

19. why now? makes you wonder

Reply to hlthe2b (Reply #3)

Thu Aug 1, 2019, 02:19 PM

Aug 2019

what kind of stuff will be released about trump 40 years from now. you know there's gotta be thousands of bits of crap like this from him and his cronies..... and somebody's gotta be recording it.

gratuitous

(82,849 posts)

20. The tape was withheld for privacy reasons

Reply to hlthe2b (Reply #3)

Thu Aug 1, 2019, 02:42 PM

Aug 2019

I don't know how many of the Nixon tapes are still under embargo, but many tapes have been withheld from release for privacy reasons (whatever that means). The entirety of this tape was released (not "unearthed&quot because historian and former director of the Nixon Presidential Library Tim Naftali requested they be released. Post with link to Naftali's article for The Atlantic here:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100212332958

And the paragraph from the article explaining how the release came about:

The exchange was taped by Nixon, and then later became the responsibility of the Nixon Presidential Library, which I directed from 2007 to 2011. When the National Archives originally released the tape of this conversation, in 2000, the racist portion was apparently withheld to protect Reagan’s privacy. A court order stipulated that the tapes be reviewed chronologically; the chronological review was completed in 2013. Not until 2017 or 2018 did the National Archives begin a general rereview of the earliest Nixon tapes. Reagan’s death, in 2004, eliminated the privacy concerns. Last year, as a researcher, I requested that the conversations involving Ronald Reagan be rereviewed, and two weeks ago, the National Archives released complete versions of the October 1971 conversations involving Reagan online.

Grammy23

(5,810 posts)

4. Yes, and that was back when Reagan

Reply to Mrs. Overall (Original post)

Wed Jul 31, 2019, 11:10 AM

Jul 2019

still had most of his brain cells. Before Alzheimer’s had ravaged his brain. So it is a window into how he really thought and believed. Nice fella.

TheBlackAdder

(28,211 posts)

6. Don King is a Republican, and I believe a Regan supporter. I wonder his thoughts.

Reply to Mrs. Overall (Original post)

Wed Jul 31, 2019, 11:32 AM

Jul 2019

Eugene

(61,938 posts)

17. I don't expect much. Don King is the African American friend Trump points out when accused of

Reply to TheBlackAdder (Reply #6)

Thu Aug 1, 2019, 11:08 AM

Aug 2019

racism, and he has had little to say about Trump's current campaign of race baiting.

malaise

(269,157 posts)

8. This is all over our local news

Reply to Mrs. Overall (Original post)

Wed Jul 31, 2019, 11:37 AM

Jul 2019

Every now and then we hear how they really feel about us.

Remember now the deified Churchill was also an avowed racist.

I hope the Dems learn to stop quoting the racist Reagan

Merlot

(9,696 posts)

9. All those years when a lot of us said that republicans were racist

Reply to Mrs. Overall (Original post)

Wed Jul 31, 2019, 11:55 AM

Jul 2019

And were told that republicans weren't racist, that they were just nice people with different views and some people in their party were, well maybe racist, but not everyone. Republicans have hidden their racism for a long time, now trumpft has blown their cover.

They are the party that attracts racists. They have been since nixon. Anyone who is a republican tolerates racism or turns a blind eye to it. They are ok with it.

The venn diagram for racists and republicans contains only one circle.

blogslut

(38,007 posts)

10. He's a Drugstore Truck Drivin Man...

Reply to Mrs. Overall (Original post)

Wed Jul 31, 2019, 12:03 PM

Jul 2019

ProfessorPlum

(11,267 posts)

11. bless their racist hearts

Reply to Mrs. Overall (Original post)

Wed Jul 31, 2019, 01:27 PM

Jul 2019

UTUSN

(70,725 posts)

12. K&R

Reply to Mrs. Overall (Original post)

Wed Jul 31, 2019, 02:18 PM

Jul 2019

rusty fender

(3,428 posts)

14. Would the news about this call from Reagan to Nixon before Ronnie's

Reply to Mrs. Overall (Original post)

Wed Jul 31, 2019, 02:39 PM

Jul 2019

run for POTUS have altered the outcome of the election

I doubt it

nini

(16,672 posts)

15. The GOP has always been like this

Reply to Mrs. Overall (Original post)

Wed Jul 31, 2019, 02:40 PM

Jul 2019

They've just pulled their hoods off now.

kskiska

(27,045 posts)

18. I remember reading an account of Ronnie and Nancy

Reply to Mrs. Overall (Original post)

Thu Aug 1, 2019, 11:16 AM

Aug 2019

riding in their limo when there was a traffic tie-up ahead. When they finally passed the cause of the jam - two black men pushing a disabled car - Nancy turned to Ronnie and said, "That figures."

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