Nikki Haley and other Republicans aren't just racists

Nikki Haley proved that she learned something by working in Donald Trump's administration. She can look America dead in the eye and lie.

"America is not a racist country," Haley said on the opening night of the Republican National Convention. And with those words, she became the party's sacrificial lamb.

Since aligning politically with Trump, there was only a small chance that she could receive the diverse support needed to ascend to national elected office. Now the GOP's rising star has lost all credibility.

Haley, the former governor of South Carolina, a former ambassador to the United Nations and a child of immigrants, knew that such a pronouncement would make her appear to be either disgracefully ignorant or a blatant liar.

Racism denial is the unstated doctrine of Trump's Republican Party. Haley decided to take one for the team and say it out loud.

No one who knows the history of America could make a compelling argument that it was not founded on the tenets of racism or that the Constitution did not originally protect slavery — the nation's most racist institution.

Most Republicans, including Haley and Trump, aren't willing to go that far in denying racism. Instead, the GOP operates on the premise that racism doesn't exist in today's America. They bear no responsibility for what happened in the past.

Denying racism allows the GOP to wash its hands of the systemic problems that created poverty, the mass incarceration of Black men and segregated neighborhoods that are rife with crime.

It allows them to stand back and judge without being judged for doing nothing.

By arguing that racism no longer is an issue in America, the GOP can go about its business of instituting policies that disproportionately infringe on the rights of African Americans without feeling a tinge of guilt.

If racism does not exist, there is no such thing as voter suppression. Therefore, there is nothing sinister about purging voter rolls, implementing strict voter identification laws or restricting early voting and mail-in ballots.

If racism does not exist, there is no inequality. Therefore, affirmative action programs, fair housing laws or restorative justice initiatives are not necessary.

If there is no racism, the protests across America are merely an excuse for people to loot stores and cause trouble. Since racism doesn't exist, Democrats are orchestrating the demonstrations to make Trump seem like a racist for trying to restore law and order.

If racism does not exist, there is no reason to hold Trump accountable for the racial discourse in America. There is no need for him to denounce white supremacy, refrain from using inflammatory language or stop sending out bigoted tweets.

Since racism does not exist in America, how could Trump possibly be a racist?

There was no better Republican to deliver that message than Haley, somewhat of a counterpart to the Democratic vice presidential nominee, Sen. Kamala Harris. The women have similar roots — Haley's parents emigrated from India, as did Harris' mother.

"This is personal for me," Haley said, adding that her parents settled in a small Southern town. "My father wore a turban. My mother wore a sari. ... I was a brown girl in a Black and white world. We faced discrimination and hardship, but my parents never gave into grievance and hate.

Presumably, it was because she never acknowledged the racist society in which she lived.

At least the GOP didn't leave Haley hanging out there alone. They brought in reinforcement from three African American men — representatives of the group that experiences the most discrimination in America.

Republicans love hard-luck stories, especially when Black people are telling them. Georgia state Rep. Vernon Jones, U.S. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina and former NFL player Herschel Walker of Georgia did not disappoint.

Their stories about overcoming poverty to obtain success play perfectly into the GOP narrative: Black people aren't denied opportunities because of racism; they are held back because they are lazy.

Before Trump, it was easier for the GOP to get away with ignoring racism in America. But it's impossible to do that with Trump in the White House. He has brought the worst of America to the surface.