Robert Byrd, like all politicians of yesteryear, was the product of the sins of his country on race and politics. If a different Senator represented West Virginia, he would have been just as racist and provincial as Robert Byrd. But looking at Robert Byrd's life, agree or disagree with his positions and policies, he was a great figure in American history.
But, more importantly, today we need some Senators who are as authentic and passionate as Robert Byrd. And we need some Senators who can play the fiddle. Or at least we need some Senators that can play something that well. How awesome would it be if Barbara Mikulski could belt out a face-melting guitar solo? Fairly awesome say I.
You cannot simultaneously laud his authentic genuineness and dismiss his racism, which was extreme even by Southern Democrat standards despite his representing one of the most racially progressive southern states, on the basis of "well anyone from West Virginia would be." Do you see the logical inconsistency here?* Of course, it's plain that he was an authentic genuine extreme racist. Being the local Exalted Cyclops would've been a political liability in 1940s
Alabama, much more so West Virginia. Remember also that this was the guy who as late as the 80s was joining filibusters of MLK Day, and dropping n-words on national television in the 2000s.
*It's also just plain not true, the Senators who served with him, Matt Neely, Jennings Randolph, and Jay Rockefeller were all not racists and in fact among the more actively anti-racist members of the Democratic caucus.
