I guess what most frightens me is that someone like Duke can appear on national television as a Republican to begin with. They should be saturating the media with press releases every time the David Dukes of the world open their collective mouths. That's what common sense suggests. But then, the Republicans seem to be in short supply of common sense. Wake up, boys.
Political survival dictates a more moderated tone.
Conservatives have long had an aversion to symbolism, and with good reason. Public policy should be dictated by empirical evidence, by experience, by pragmatism. What feels right, what sends the right message, those aren't usually what makes the best policy. But policy is different from politics. In politics, symbolism is important.