Did Reagan run on racism?

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

Not overtly, but he definitely exploited racist sentiments in the South.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

Given his statements on "state's rights" and that woman from Chicago...

States Rights =/=racism.

True, it's more than that: homophobia, sexism, and classism as well.

And there are also legitimate states rights issues that have nothing to do with things like that.

Historically, the people who argue for "states' rights" fit into two main categories:

1) Whichever party lost the last presidential election
2) Racists

I'll agree that states' rights in theory has nothing to do with racism, but its naive to suggest that there is no connection between the two.