David Duke Endorses Former Black Panther: 'I'll Take the Anti-Zionist Any Day'

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Former Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan David Duke released a video announcing his endorsement of Charles Barron, an affirmative action supporting, African-American, former Black Panther who is running for Brooklyn's 8th Congressional district, and the conflicting priorities ole' Duke faced are just mind-boggling. What could possibly cause Duke to endorse a Black Panther? Anti-semitism, of course!

Barron's opponent Hakeem Jeffries is also African-American, so we suppose Duke's racism didn't have to compete against his views on Israel and Jews -- Barron shares a certain animus for the nation -- but then, Duke could have just not endorsed. He's from Louisiana and this is a Brooklyn congressional race. Perhaps he took interest after, as the New York Observer's Hunter Walker notes, Barron was called "The David Duke of New York." Here's Duke's rationale:

In a race for Congress between an anti-Zionist black activist and a black activist who is a bought and paid for Zionist Uncle Tom, I’ll take the anti-Zionist any day. In this election of limited choices, I believe that Charles Barron is the best choice. Why? Because I think there’s no greater danger facing the United States of America and facing the world than the unbridled power of Zionist globalism. … Charles Barron stands against that power. If I lived in New York City, I would certainly vote for Charles Barron.

The video is a bit long -- if you're wondering how long it takes a Grand Wizard to argue for his endorsement of a Black Panther for Congress (and who hasn't posed that hypothetical?) the answer is eight and a half minutes -- but, hey, this is the kind of realpolitik you have to practice when the rest of the country isn't as excited by your movement's disturbing view on race relations as they were in 1915. 

Barron's campaign isn't super pleased with the endorsement. "We're staying focused -- and we demand respect for our campaign," Barron told the New York Daily News. "I don't think that's a campaign issue. I don't think it's intelligent."

White supremicists have been forced to embrace all sorts of political realities these days. They were dispappointed, for instance, that the Tea Party -- a movement that arose out of concern for the economy -- didn't focus on race relations. (Stick to the issues people!) So realpolitik it is. It's almost like he's after Henry Kissinger's heart. No wait, he's definitely not after Henry Kissinger's heart. 

This article is from the archive of our partner The Wire.