Is the Republican party a racist party?

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

No

Donald Trump is not a racist and 80% of his supporters aren't either. Trump is still awful though.

No, otherwise I wouldn't be a Republican.

Guys, I understand why you feel like you are Republicans. I also hate paying so much in taxes when much of it is being wasted on public employee unions and endless wars. I want to be able to keep at least some of my FICA taxes to invest in a way of my choosing. I think premium support should be introduced in Medicare and there should be greater cost sharing, especially for those who can afford it. I would be quite content if the Ryan budget was adopted.

That being said I understand I am not a Republican and wouldn't be accepted into the Republican party. I knew this before, but the 2016 election has made it crystal clear. Both of you are not going to be accepted by the Republican rank and file either. That doesn't make you Democrats but you guys just are not Republicans.

Might god you have moved to the right. I seem to recall you being not quite so conservative economically.

Right, because leaving the party is surely going to make it change its views. Indeed, the departure of people from the party has only moved the Trump demographic to being a larger proporation of the party.

Leaving has been the answer for 40 years by moderates and yet people are shocked, shocked I tell you find that the Party has become more conservative and more hostile on the issues. You don't win a war by running away, you win it by standing and fighting back.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

I'm not sure. I don't think most Republicans are racist, although most racists now do find a home in the Republican Party. It's not a coincidence that the Civil Rights Act was passed and Southern whites began switching en masse to the Republican Party, most notably Strom Thurmond in 1964. Although it has taken a few decades, the realignment of Southern whites to the Republican Party appears complete. With perhaps the exception of a favourite son in 1976, the party that has dominated the Deep South has been the home of racists.

The South was trending Republican from 1948 onwards. Obviously, the CRA of 1964 is reponsible for starting it. It augmented the trend, sure. But it was a combination of issues that flipped rural, white Southerners and race was one of many, and the CRA actually damaged the GOP in the southern states they had been previously gaining ground in VA, TN and FL. Of course you didn't distinguish, you just said Southern whites, which were trending GOP for over a decade before the CRA.

Now race did play a roll, along with generational change. With fewer Civil War generation members around, and the move towards Civil Rights by the Dems in 1948, there was little desire on the part of middle class professionals, small businessmen and white collar workers to continue voting differently than similar demographics elsewhere. So instead, they started voting for the Party of business and money.